Sungrow is to partner with Huanghe Hydropower, providing PV inverter and energy storage systems for a major solar-plus-storage project in Qinghai Province, China.

Chinese developer Huanghe Hydropower Development is bringing forward the 202.86MW/202.86MWh solar-plus-storage project, selecting Sungrow’s 1500V SG250HX inverters alongside the manufacturer’s integrated energy storage systems.

Sungrow said the combination of the two technologies enabled shorter construction times and easier operations and maintenance, while also bringing additional benefits to the grid when operational. The system will come with an embedded sub-array energy management function that can, in turn, be used to control the output of the solar farm by utilising its co-located storage capacity, allowing for improved accuracy of solar generation forecasts.

Huanghe Hydropower is developing the project within a hub of ground-mounted solar plants in a particularly remote region of China, selected for its high irradiation. These “bases” are then connected to transmission grids in the country using ultra-high voltage technologies, facilitating the transfer of power from the west of China to the country’s densely populated east.

Describing the project as a landmark for the country, a spokesperson for Huanghe Hydropower said Sungrow’s energy management system was the first to pass functionality tests in controlling both solar PV and energy storage system output.

Jack Gu, senior vice president at Sungrow, said the combination of solar with storage and other technologies was critical to reducing the levelised cost of electricity (LCOE) further.

“Energy storage applications are getting to be more cost-saving when more integrated energy storage systems are created. Looking forward to the post grid-parity era, PV will be deeply integrated with energy storage technology and highly support the stability of the grid,” he said.

The deal is yet further evidence of the appetite for Sungrow’s 1500V, 250kW SG250HX range of inverters, after the company revealed earlier this week they had been selected for a 500MW solar array in Oman.