- Sonatrach and Eni have launched a solar lab and commenced building a 10-megawatt (MW) photovoltaic plant.
- The Solar Lab will test different photovoltaic panels in the extreme irradiation conditions of the region.
Algeria’s national gas and oil supplier Sonatrach and Eni, an Italian multinational energy company, have launched a solar lab and commenced building a 10-megawatt (MW) photovoltaic plant in the Bir Rebaa North (BRN) production complex, in the Berkine basin, of southeastern Algeria, aligning with Eni’s global net-zero strategy and decarbonization plan.
The Solar Lab will test different photovoltaic panels in the extreme irradiation conditions of the region and will be open to universities and other public institutions for research purposes. The photovoltaic plant will be the second plant linked to the BRN facility and will further contribute to decarbonizing hydrocarbon production.
This project will double the total amount of renewable energy available to power the upstream processes when combined with an existing 10 MW photovoltaic facility 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.