PETRA Solar, a subsidiary of US-based Petra Systems, a global technology provider for the renewable energy, energy efficiency, and power generation markets, has completed the installation of a smart solar power plant with the help of partner Caspian Renewable Energy.

The five-megawatt (MW) project will be owned by Bapco (Bahrain Petroleum Company), a wholly owned subsidiary of National Oil and Gas Authority (Noga), and deliver more than 8,000 MWh of clean renewable energy.

In real terms this capacity will present an energy offset of 67,000 Mcf of natural gas and savings of 6,900 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions each year.

Petra Solar said the 5 MW Bapco project marks the first phase of the “Let Bahrain Shine” initiative, a consortium-led initiative to assist the kingdom meet up to 10 per cent of its energy demands through clean renewable energy.

Petra Solar focuses on providing reliable, cost-effective smart energy solutions to the electric supply industry.

Bapco CEO Adel Almoayyed said: “Being the first of its kind in the Middle East, “it will be a proud showcase. We expect that this project will be the first step in Bahrain’s march towards a solar future.”

Petra Solar, along with its partner Caspian Renewable Energy, will continue to partner closely with key Bahraini stakeholders such as Bapco, Noga, the University of Bahrain, and others to make Bahrain the Middle East’s hub for solar power technology and innovation.

The Bapco installation leverages Petra Solar’s SunWave Microinverter, one of the world’s most field-tested and proven inverter build block solutions.

SunWave has advanced capabilities such as real and reactive power generation and control, revenue grade metering, panel level health monitoring and diagnostics, grid health monitoring, and bi-directional wireless communications.