Hanwha Q Cells to build Portuguese solar power plant

A solar power plant built by Hanwha Q Cells in Brandenburg, Germany. [HANWHA Q CELLS]

Hanwha Q Cells, a leading solar cell manufacturer, has won the right to build a solar power plant coupled with an energy storage system for a state-run project in Portugal.

The manufacturer will be responsible for building six of the twelve generation capacity lots in the country's Alentejo and Algarve regions by 2024, with a capacity of generating 315 megawatts of electricity per year, according to a statement released on Friday.

The agreement marks a major milestone since it will be the company's first solar power plant combined with a storage system.

The initiative is in line with the Portuguese government’s push to increase renewable energy to 35 percent of the country's energy portfolio.

“Europe is a major market for Q Cells, as it leads the global renewable energy market,” Hanwha Q Cells CEO Charles Kim said. “We will respond to the fast expansion of the renewable energy market in a pre-emptive manner, drawing on our experience in solar modules."

In January, Q Cells secured the right to develop a 940 megawatt solar project from Spanish developer RIC Energy.

BY PARK EUN-JEE [park.eunjee@joongang.co.kr]