Eni and Sonatrach have launched a solar lab and laid the first stone of a 10-megawatt (MW) photovoltaic plant in the Bir Rebaa North (BRN) production complex, in the Berkine basin, of southeastern Algeria, Eni announced in a statement on Thursday.
These initiatives are in line with Eni’s global net-zero strategy and are part of a wider decarbonization plan.
The Solar Lab will test different photovoltaic panels in the extreme irradiation conditions of the region and be open to universities and other public institutions for research purposes.
The photovoltaic plant will be the second linked to the BRN facility, and according to the statement, it will 'further contribute to decarbonizing the facility’s hydrocarbon production.'
It will double the amount of renewable energy available to power the upstream processes when combined with an existing 10 MW photovoltaic facility that was launched in 2018. Another PV facility will be built at the Menzel Ledjmet East Project (MLE) production complex in the Berkine Basin, with construction set to begin in 2023.
(Anadolu Agency, November 17, 2022)
