Duke Energy has taken up yet another project in North Carolina, which also marks a first in the company’s portfolio. The renewable energy company is setting up a solar power project at a military base.
The 13-megawatt project to be developed on marine corps base camp Lejeune in Onslow County will cover 100 acres. The project to be owned by Duke Energy Progress (DEP) is expected to go online this year.
The project is expected to enable the base to meet renewable energy and energy security goals.
Duke has handed the engineering, procurement and construction contract for the project to Charlotte-based Crowder Construction Services. And SolarWorld Americas will be delivering the 54,000-odd monocrystalline solar panels the project is expected to require.
The Brilliance inverters produced by GE Power Conversion at its Pittsburgh facility will be used in combination with the solar arrays at the project, the company has stated.
Besides the Camp Lejeune project, Duke Energy is already committed to a $500 million solar expansion plan in North Carolina. Currently, it is building three solar parks at Bladen, Duplin and Wilson counties. These projects with total capacity of 128 megawatts are to be operational by the end of the year.
The company is also partnering with solar developers to purchase the electricity output from other solar facilities planned in the state.
Ajith Kumar S