PCOD Certificate Issued for Saudi Arabia’s Al Shubah 2.6 GW PV Power Station Project

On June 22 local time, the Al Shubah 2.6 GW PV power station project in Saudi Arabia, undertaken by a consortium consisting of China Energy Engineering International Group, Guangdong Power Engineering Corporation and Northwest Electric Power Design Institute under a general contracting model, received the Provisional Certificate of Operation Date (PCOD) for ASB2 issued by the owner. This marks the completion of all procedures including full-capacity grid connection, system performance testing, grid compliance acceptance and site handover, and the project has officially entered the commercial power generation and warranty period.

Located in Jeddah, Makkah Province, Saudi Arabia, the project boasts a total installed capacity of 2.6 GW. It is currently the world’s largest single-unit photovoltaic project by installed capacity and a key component of the New Energy Programme under Saudi Vision 2030. Covering a land area of 52.54 square kilometers, the project adopts the world’s state-of-the-art N-type bifacial PV modules and horizontal single-axis automatic tracking brackets.

Upon completion, the project is expected to generate a total of approximately 282.2 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity over its 35-year operational lifespan, translating to a carbon dioxide emission reduction of nearly 245 million tons, equivalent to planting 545 million trees in the Saudi desert. The project stands as a major milestone for Chinese and Saudi enterprises advancing Saudi Vision 2030, as well as another significant achievement from the in-depth alignment between the Belt and Road Initiative and Saudi Arabia’s national development strategy.