Innovation in the desert sand
This year, in Benban in Egypt (Aswan) on an area of almost 100 hectares, the construction of one of the largest solar power plants in the country will begin. The plant will be constructed by the Infinity 50 consortium and its German member, the project developer ib Vogt GmbH; the company Mounting Systems from Rangsdorf will supply the racking system. The newly developed 'Sigma Tracker' will be used for the first time; it is a tracking system that promises high material quality, cost efficiency (both in construction and operation) as well as improved energy yield of up to 25%. "We are very proud to be able to help realize one of the first major PV projects in Egypt with our new and innovative 'Sigma Tracker' tracking system," says Michael Sehner, managing director of Mounting Systems GmbH.
For years, Egypt has been investing billions and thus accelerating the modernization and expansion of its power plant capacity and networks. The country is therefore also increasingly focusing on the expansion of renewable energies. Under the ambitious goal, 20% of electricity is to come from renewable sources by 2020. To keep pace with the growing demand for energy in the region of almost 7% per year, photovoltaics is playing an increasingly important role as part of the energy mix.
With between 9 and 11 hours of sunshine per day, Egypt offers excellent conditions for solar energy. However, the desert climate places enormous demands on the quality of the components: the "Sigma Tracker" must be able to withstand high dust and sand exposure as well as extreme temperature fluctuations. A new type of Magnelis coating offers effective protection against corrosion.
Mounting Systems, an experienced and reliable partner for fixed and tracking systems, is constantly working on reducing investment costs and increasing operational productivity to make large-scale PV projects like the one in Benban cost-effective and competitive. The aim of the development work of Mounting Systems is to achieve a long service life of the components and correspondingly lower maintenance costs. The high level of pre-assembly of the "Sigma Tracker", for example, and its lightweight design save time and money, as does the innovative knee lever. The use of energy-saving motors, based on the cooperation with technology leader Siemens AG (as is the entire drive and control technology), ensures an extremely smooth drive that gently starts up the system. Finally, the double, upright module allocation enables the construction of wide passageways, which facilitates maintenance.
