Sunpin reports progress on Titan Solar 1 project
IRVINE -- The developer of the 98-megawatt Titan Solar 1 project in north in northern Imperial County issued a progress report on construction on Tuesday.
Sunpin Solar, a California-based utility-scale solar developer and long-term asset owner, said in a release that, “Despite all difficulties presented by COVID-19, the construction crews remain focused, dedicated, and together we have created a safe environment for them and their families.”
The 569-acre solar farm, located between the Salton Sea and Anza Borrego Desert State Park, broke ground in January. When complete, it will be comprised of over 260,000 panels and will generate over 218,000 megawatt hours of renewable energy annually.
Sunpin reported the project has been fully engineered with all permits including building, substation and move-on and grading permits successfully obtained. The company said 50 percent of the pile installations have been completed and panels are starting to be installed.
Since April, delivery of all major equipment such as piles, racking, and modules have been received, and more than half are stored on site.
“COVID-19 may have complicated the execution of this project, but never threatened its success,” the company said.
“The project is still targeting the same scheduled milestones, thanks to the support from all the stakeholders including Imperial Irrigation District, Imperial County, and many others.
The project is expected to be operational in fourth quarter 2020. The company said the project will employ more than 500 workers during peak construction.
This is Sunpin Solar’s second large utility-scale solar project in California, following the successful completion of the 96.75 megawatt ColGreen North Shore solar project in Riverside County in 2018.
“We are witnesses to events that generations will read in history books due to the pandemic,” said Marsel Kamberaj, director of EPC at Sunpin Solar. “So, let’s change the course of history to one that sheds light on our perseverance and resilience and let this project in its fullest definition of capturing and manipulating light signify capturing and spreading hope.”
Titan Solar 1 project will be interconnected to the Imperial Irrigation District utility grid and has delivery capability into California Independent System Operator territory. The single-axis tracking system will generate enough clean energy to power over 26,900 homes annually according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Greenhouse Gas Equivalencies Calculator.