Port of Tarragona Builds 300 kW Photovoltaic Plant, Port Area Solar Capacity to Exceed 1 MW

en.Wedoany.com Reported - The Port of Tarragona has awarded the contract for the construction of a photovoltaic plant on the roofs of Warehouses 1 to 4 at the Moll de Costa's Tinglados to Elecnor Servicios y Proyectos. The plant will have an installed capacity of 300 kW and, once completed, will meet part of the port's energy needs. The construction period is four months from the start of work. Once the new plant is operational, the Port of Tarragona's self-generated power will exceed 1 MW.

According to the Port of Tarragona, the photovoltaic panels will be installed on the roofs of the four buildings closest to the sea, which have the best orientation and the highest number of sunlight hours, favoring electricity generation. The technical solution shows that the system is symmetrically distributed across the four warehouses: Warehouses 1 and 4 will each have 165 solar panels, and Warehouses 2 and 3 will each have 189 panels on their roofs, totaling 708 panels across the entire system. The panels are model SUNO-U430F, manufactured by Andalusian manufacturer TSO, with a unit power output of 430 peak watts (Wp), giving a total photovoltaic panel capacity of 304.44 kWp.

To reduce structural loads and ensure the safety and stability of the buildings, the Port Authority has selected ultra-lightweight photovoltaic panels. While conventional panels weigh between 18 and 20 kg, the panels used on the warehouse roofs weigh only 7.2 kg, a 62% reduction. The panels are fixed directly to the roof surface using a mechanical-chemical bonding system, without the need for pre-installed supports or drilling, thereby reducing structural loads and avoiding waterproofing issues. The installation follows a coplanar design with the roof, with a panel azimuth of 13° to optimize solar exposure at the port.

The inverter system uses 12 units of German brand SMA equipment. Warehouses 1 and 4 will operate a total of 6 STP 20-50 model inverters with a combined rated power of 120 kW; Warehouses 2 and 3 will be equipped with 6 STP 25-50 model inverters with a total output capacity of 150 kW. The total grid-connected power on the AC side of the system is 270 kW.

The project is part of the Ecoport2030 plan, with a total investment of €380,688. The European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) co-finances 40% of the project investment, with the remaining 60% covered by the Port Authority of Tarragona (APT).

The Port Authority of Tarragona currently has 750 kW of photovoltaic facilities in operation, distributed across Refugi 1 and 2 at the Moll de Costa, the Port Authority administrative building, the sailing club building, the border inspection post, the tax office premises, the certification center, the cruise terminal parking lot pergola, and the port police building. In addition, the roof reinforcement work on Warehouses A, B, and C at the Moll de Castella has been completed, and a new photovoltaic plant with an additional 600 kWp of self-generated renewable electricity will be installed there, becoming the Port Authority's largest photovoltaic plant. The tender for panel installation is expected to be announced in autumn. The Port Authority is also conducting a preliminary study for installing panels in the parking lot next to the administrative building, with a planned capacity of 200 kW. Once the above projects are completed, the Port Authority's photovoltaic generation will approach 2 MW.