Recently, deep in the Abu Dhabi desert, on a construction site covering nearly 90 square kilometers, photovoltaic brackets and energy storage containers were arranged in rows. The China Electric Power Alliance is advancing the north section of the RTC all-weather integrated photovoltaic and energy storage project here, with a contract amount equivalent to approximately RMB 13.962 billion, covering the design, procurement, and construction of 2.1 gigawatts of DC photovoltaics and 7.75 gigawatt hours of energy storage systems, with a construction period of 21 months. The project is jointly developed by Masdar and EWEC, with an overall plan of 5.2 gigawatts of photovoltaic power and 19 gigawatt hours of energy storage, with a target output of 1 gigawatt of continuous clean electricity. After the completion of the northern section, it can help reduce carbon emissions by about 5.7 million tons annually in the local area.

Photovoltaic energy storage collaborative substitution for base load power supply

The UAE has abundant sunshine, but the photovoltaic output fluctuates sharply with the alternation of day and night, and traditional power stations can only serve as supplementary power sources. The idea of the RTC project is to use energy storage as an energy buffer: during the day, photovoltaic power is prioritized for load supply, and surplus electricity is stored in the warehouse; After sunset, the energy is stored and discharged to maintain uninterrupted output for 24 hours. This photovoltaic extended time energy storage base load mode is different from conventional peak shaving energy storage, and requires higher requirements for temperature control, safety, cycle life, and grid support capacity. For China Power Construction, the desert construction, local supply chain, and grid integration experience accumulated from the PV3 Ajiban 1.5 GW photovoltaic project has provided a practical foundation for the RTC project.

Liquid cooling system responds to high temperature sand and dust

Abu Dhabi experiences extreme high temperatures, frequent sandstorms, and large temperature differences between day and night in summer, making ordinary energy storage solutions prone to thermal runaway and accelerated degradation. The energy storage system of the project adopts liquid cooling temperature control combined with high protection level containers to maintain uniform battery temperature at high temperatures and avoid heat island risks. Simultaneously equipped with digital twins, AI power prediction, and virtual power plant collaborative scheduling, it can predict photovoltaic output in real time, dynamically optimize charging and discharging strategies, provide auxiliary services such as frequency regulation and voltage support in addition to basic power supply, and enhance the resilience of Abu Dhabi's power grid. Keywords: New Energy News Network, Solar Storage, Middle East, International

Domestic industrial chain packaging and delivery

The overseas matrix of RTC project is not limited to engineering general contracting. Jinko Energy supplies efficient Feihu photovoltaic modules, while Sunac Power provides high-capacity liquid cooled energy storage systems and photovoltaic inverter solutions. Multiple domestic energy storage companies participate together to form a collaborative model of engineering general contracting, equipment supply, and technical solutions. The Middle East market is shifting from rushing to install photovoltaics to a new stage of no energy storage and no grid connection. The demand for all-weather green electricity from data centers, industrial loads, and AI computing power continues to increase. The market competition is no longer just about the cost of electricity per kilowatt hour, but also about long-term stable operation, high-temperature reliability, and full lifecycle maintenance capabilities. The RTC project, with a storage capacity of nearly 20 gigawatt hours, provides replicable samples of renewable energy alternatives to some fossil based power sources for high sunshine areas worldwide.Editor/Gao Xue