GE Renewable Energy has been selected by Kalyon to deliver solar power station technology for the 270MW Karapinar phase II-A and 810MW Karapinar phase II-B solar plant in Turkey.

The Karapinar solar power plant is part of the first Turkish solar YEKA tender launched in 2017 by the Ministry of Energy.

The project is located in Turkey’s Konya Karapinar province and is expected to reach commercial operation by December 2022.

As part of the contract, GE will provide its FLEXINVERTER technology for the solar plant, as well as design, engineering, project management, site management and commissioning services.

A Kalyon Energy executive board member said: “We are glad to partner with GE on this giant renewable energy project in Turkey. GE’s deep expertise in the solar space has meant we have successfully commissioned 267MW together and are about to start Phase II-A and B (together 1,080MW) commissioning activities very soon.”

This project represents GE’s first FLEXINVERTER implementation outside the US. The FLEXINVERTER Solar Power Station is an integrated containerized solution that combines a solar inverter, medium voltage power transformer, and an optional MV Ring Main Unit, all integrated in a standard 20-feet ISO high cube container.

The technology is a smart solution that helps deliver a power conversion platform for utility-scale solar and storage applications.

Prakash Chandra, CEO Renewable Hybrids at GE Renewable Energy, said: “There is tremendous potential for solar energy in Turkey which can be addressed through smart solutions that will help integrate this natural energy source into the grid in a reliable way and at utility scale.

“We are thrilled to be partnering with Kalyon on these projects and look forward to more opportunities to increase the penetration of renewable energy in Turkey.”

GE will be localizing the production of the mounting structures and DC cables in Turkey. GE’s Grid Solutions business manufacturing site in Gebze, Turkey, will be producing transformers for integration in the solar inverter system.