Egypt Benban Solar Park Utility-Scale Photovoltaic Cable Project

As Egypt stands in the first echelon of the African photovoltaic market, its Benban Solar Park in Aswan Governorate is not only one of the world's largest concentrated photovoltaic bases with a total installed capacity exceeding 2,000 megawatts but also a landmark new energy project led by international financing, attracting numerous EPC companies from around the world to participate in its construction; between 2021 and 2022, Dongguan GERITEL Electrical Co., Ltd. successfully participated in the Egypt Benban Solar Park Utility-Scale Photovoltaic Cable Project, providing a full range of photovoltaic and power cable supply services for the project, and with high-quality products meeting international standards, customized solutions that accurately address project pain points, and efficient and stable delivery capabilities, it successfully completed the project supporting tasks, becoming a benchmark case in the field of cable export in the Egyptian photovoltaic market, and this article will detail the entire process of the project, fully demonstrating our core advantages in cable export and photovoltaic cable supply, so as to provide reference practical experience for potential cooperative customers.

I. Core Needs of the Egypt Benban Solar Project

Located in the Aswan Desert in southern Egypt, the Benban Solar Park enjoys an annual sunshine duration of more than 3,000 hours and serves as the core supporting project for Egypt to achieve its strategic goal of reaching 42% renewable energy penetration by 2035; meanwhile, the project is financially supported by international financial institutions such as the IFC and AIIB, its EPC standards adopt Europeanized norms and need to be compatible with international multi-system certification requirements, and the project section we cooperated with this time is a 150MW concentrated ground-mounted power station, which is a typical utility-scale ultra-large photovoltaic project, and our customer, as an EPC enterprise participating in the project, faced multiple tricky problems in the cable procurement process, which is precisely the core reason why we stood out among many suppliers.

The customer's core pain points mainly focused on five aspects: first, the unique high-temperature and strong ultraviolet environment in the desert, where the surface temperature often reaches above 50℃ during the day, making the sheath of ordinary cables prone to powdering and aging, which cannot meet the 25-year design service life of the project; second, the desert is plagued by severe sandstorms, which not only cause serious wear and tear on the cable outer skin but also, coupled with inevitable mechanical damage during construction, easily lead to line failures and affect the project progress; third, as an internationally financed project, the cable has extremely high certification requirements, needing to meet the three major international certifications of IEC, TÜV, and UL, a threshold that many suppliers cannot meet; in addition, the project is large in scale and has a huge demand for cables, which puts extremely strict requirements on the stability of the delivery cycle and batch delivery capacity; finally, due to the parallel construction of multiple EPC enterprises, there are slight differences in the grid connection standards of different sections, which greatly increases the complexity of cable selection, and how to avoid model confusion has become a major problem for the customer.

After comparing multiple suppliers, the customer finally chose to cooperate with us, the core reason being that we not only have complete international certifications and rich experience in undertaking large-scale photovoltaic projects but also can provide customized solutions for the customer according to the special scenarios of desert photovoltaic projects, while we can ensure fast delivery and stable quality, perfectly matching the customer's core demands of "compliance, durability, and efficiency" and making the customer full of confidence in the smooth progress of the project.

II. Core Products: Detailed Explanation of Full-Series Photovoltaic Cables 

In response to the actual needs of the Benban project, we provided a full range of cables including DC photovoltaic cables, DC trunk cables, AC power cables, medium-voltage cables, and control and communication cables, among which photovoltaic cables, as the core component of the project, focus on the special environmental needs of high temperature, strong ultraviolet radiation, and high wear in the desert; all products have passed strict international certifications, and their specifications are also accurately matched to the project design, with specific details as follows.

(I) Product Overview

All cables supplied for the Benban project this time are custom-made for photovoltaic power stations, covering five categories: DC photovoltaic cables, DC trunk cables, AC power cables, medium-voltage cables, and control and communication cables, which can perfectly adapt to the full-process needs from 1500V DC system to 132kV/220kV step-up grid connection; they focus on the special scenarios of high temperature, strong ultraviolet radiation, and high wear in the desert, and while balancing power transmission efficiency, mechanical protection performance, and international compliance, they take photovoltaic cables as the core product because they directly determine the stable operation of the entire photovoltaic project and are also the key to ensuring the long-term effectiveness of the project.

(II) Product Certification (Core Advantage)

Certification is the core threshold for this project cooperation and also our core competitiveness to stand out among many suppliers; our photovoltaic cables hold the TUV EN 50618 certification with the certificate number B 126326 0001 Rev.00, and all photovoltaic cables comply with the IEC 62930 basic certification, while other power cables (including AC cables, medium-voltage cables, etc.) have passed the national standard TÜV certification and relevant IEC standard certifications; these complete certifications fully meet the project's requirements for IEC+TÜV multi-system certifications and also help the customer successfully pass the compliance review of the internationally financed project, which is also the key reason why the customer gave up other suppliers—most suppliers can only provide a single certification and cannot meet the strict international compliance requirements of the project.

(III) Product Application Scenarios and Adaptation Advantages

Combined with the layout and actual construction scenarios of the 150MW concentrated ground-mounted power station of the Benban photovoltaic project, we matched accurately adapted cable products for different power transmission links, which not only ensure the stable and efficient transmission of electrical energy but also can perfectly adapt to the harsh environment of the desert, with specific application situations as follows.

1. As the "energy transmission vein" from photovoltaic modules to inverters, DC photovoltaic cables (DC Cable) run through the entire photovoltaic array area and are the core cable type of the entire project; in the photovoltaic module arrangement area of the Benban Desert, for the short-distance series connection needs between modules, we selected the 1×4mm² PV1-F specification, which is small and easy to lay, can adapt to the scenario of small module spacing and low current demand, and can be directly fixed on the module without occupying additional space; on the mainstream transmission lines from modules to combiner boxes and from combiner boxes to inverters, we adopted 1×6mm² PV1-F as the main model, which can perfectly adapt to the desert open-air laying scenario, not only can withstand the high temperature above 50℃ and strong ultraviolet radiation during the day but also can effectively cope with sandstorm erosion, achieving the optimization of cost control while ensuring transmission efficiency; in some areas where modules are arranged in long strings and have high current load, we matched the 1×10mm² specification to avoid overheating and excessive loss during long-distance transmission; it is worth mentioning that as a high-end European model, H1Z2Z2-K can be provided on demand according to the customer's special needs, but combined with the actual needs of the project and the cost optimization goal, 1×6mm² PV1-F became the optimal choice, which is different from other suppliers that blindly recommend high-end models and increase customer costs, truly realizing the cooperation concept of "adaptation is optimal".

2. As the "energy collection channel" from combiner boxes to inverters, DC trunk cables (DC Trunk Cable) are responsible for the important task of centrally transmitting electrical energy from multiple combiner boxes to inverters; due to the long distance between combiner boxes and inverters in the Benban project, which mostly crosses desert Gobi areas and needs to be laid by underground burial or cable trench, we selected two specifications of 1×16mm² and 1×25mm² to adapt to the transmission needs of different distances: 1×16mm² is selected for short-distance collection and transmission, while 1×25mm² is selected for long-distance and high-current collection; this type of cable has excellent current-carrying capacity and low transmission loss, which can effectively reduce the waste of electrical energy during long-distance transmission, and at the same time can adapt to the compression resistance requirements of underground laying, avoiding damage to the cable caused by soil pressure and sandstorm wear, and ensuring the stable and efficient collection of electrical energy.

3. As the "energy conversion bridge" from inverters to step-up stations, AC power cables (AC Cable) are mainly responsible for centrally transmitting the alternating current converted by inverters to the low-voltage side of step-up stations; considering the high risk of mechanical damage in the Benban Desert area, we matched corresponding specifications for different transmission scenarios: in areas where the distance between inverters and step-up stations is relatively short and overhead or cable trench laying is adopted, we selected two specifications of YJV 0.6/1kV 3×70mm² and YJV 0.6/1kV 3×120mm², which can meet the needs of low-voltage side centralized grid connection; while on lines crossing desert wastelands and adopting underground laying, we equipped the YJV22 (armored type) 3×150mm² specification, whose steel tape armored structure can effectively resist sandstorm wear, construction machinery collision, and rodent damage, providing reliable mechanical protection for AC transmission and ensuring stable and trouble-free long-distance centralized grid connection.

4. As the "step-up grid connection hub" from step-up stations to power transformation systems, medium-voltage cables (MV Cable) are the key link for the project's electrical energy to be connected to Egypt's national power grid; since some sections of the Benban project need to step up electrical energy to 132kV/220kV before being connected to the national power grid, we matched two types of cables, 6/10kV XLPE cables and 18/30kV XLPE cables, according to the step-up level and transmission distance, with cross-sectional specifications covering 3×95mm², 3×150mm², and 3×240mm²: 3×95mm² and 3×150mm² are selected for short-distance step-up transmission, while 3×240mm² is selected for long-distance and large-capacity step-up grid connection; this type of cable adopts XLPE insulation material, which meets the standards of Egypt's national power grid, and has a partial armored + waterproof structure, which can adapt to the waterproof and compression resistance needs of desert underground laying, ensuring the safe and efficient transmission of high-voltage electrical energy and helping the project's electrical energy to be smoothly connected to the national power grid.

5. As the "nerve center" of the project's monitoring system, control and communication cables are responsible for ensuring the coordinated operation of all equipment in the photovoltaic power station; due to the large scale of the Benban project, it is necessary to monitor various equipment such as photovoltaic modules, inverters, and step-up stations in real time through the SCADA system, so we selected two specifications of RVV 2×1.5mm² and RVV 4×1.5mm² for the transmission of ordinary monitoring signals; these cables can be laid along equipment brackets and cable trays and can adapt to the complex installation environment of the desert; in areas around step-up stations with strong electromagnetic interference, we adopted RVVP shielded cables, whose copper wire braided shielding layer can effectively resist electromagnetic interference, ensuring clear and stable monitoring signals and avoiding equipment operation abnormalities caused by signal interruption, thus guaranteeing the overall operation and maintenance efficiency of the project.

(IV) Product Structure and Color

Our photovoltaic cables adopt an XLPO double-layer insulation structure, where the inner insulation is mainly used to ensure the electrical performance of the cable, and the outer sheath focuses on enhancing the wear resistance and ultraviolet resistance of the cable; the conductor adopts tinned copper soft conductor, which not only has excellent electrical conductivity but also has strong oxidation resistance, and its bending radius is greater than 4D, facilitating the laying operation on the desert site; armored cables (including YJV22 and medium-voltage partial armored models) adopt a steel tape armored structure, which can effectively enhance the mechanical protection capacity of the cable and resist various external damages; the shielded type of control and communication cables adopts a copper wire braided shielding layer, which can effectively resist electromagnetic interference and ensure stable signal transmission; in terms of color selection, DC photovoltaic cables adopt a combination of red (positive electrode) and black (negative electrode), facilitating on-site construction personnel to distinguish wiring; AC cables adopt yellow, green, and red core wires, complying with international general wiring standards; control and communication cables adopt black sheaths, which can adapt to the concealed laying needs of the desert environment and avoid excessive erosion by strong light and sandstorms.

(V) Product Installation Scenario Description

DC photovoltaic cables (PV1-F series) are mainly directly laid on photovoltaic module brackets for connecting modules to combiner boxes and combiner boxes to inverters; some areas vulnerable to direct sandstorm erosion will adopt pipe protection, which is overall suitable for the desert open-air laying scenario; DC trunk cables are mainly laid by underground burial or cable trench, reducing the risk of cable wear by avoiding direct erosion by surface high temperature and sandstorms and ensuring the stability of energy collection; among AC power cables, YJV series are mainly laid by overhead or cable trench, while YJV22 armored type is laid by underground burial; both methods are mainly used for long-distance transmission between inverters and step-up stations, adapting to the needs of different on-site environments; medium-voltage cables are laid by underground burial + waterproof protection for connecting step-up stations to power transformation systems, which need to cross desert Gobi areas, can withstand a certain degree of soil pressure and temperature difference changes, and ensure the safe transmission of high-voltage electrical energy; control and communication cables are mainly laid along equipment brackets and cable trays, among which the shielded type is mainly used for the connection between the SCADA monitoring system and equipment, effectively avoiding the impact of electromagnetic interference on signal transmission and ensuring the normal operation of the monitoring system.

III. Accurately Addressing Core Project Pain Points

Combined with the desert environmental characteristics, international compliance requirements, and batch delivery needs of the Benban project, we provided one-on-one customized solutions for the five core pain points faced by the customer and arranged special personnel to follow up the project progress throughout the process to ensure that the solutions can be implemented effectively; this is also the core difference between us and other suppliers—we not only provide high-quality products for customers but also provide full-process professional services to help customers solve various problems in the project progress.

1. To address the pain point of high-temperature aging in the desert, our photovoltaic cables adopt an XLPO double-layer insulation + 120℃ temperature resistance design, the outer sheath is added with a UV-resistant formula, and has passed TÜV aging resistance testing, which can operate stably for a long time in a high-temperature environment above 50℃, effectively avoiding the powdering and cracking of the sheath, with a service life of up to 25 years, far exceeding the 15-year service life of ordinary cables; at the same time, different from the PVC insulation used in ordinary cables, the XLPO material we selected has the advantage of being halogen-free and low-smoke, which is more in line with international environmental standards and also meets the environmental protection requirements of internationally financed projects.

2. To address the pain point of severe wear in the desert environment, we equipped the cables with an abrasion-resistant outer sheath, whose thickness is 0.3mm thicker than that of ordinary cables, which can effectively resist sandstorm erosion; at the same time, we equipped AC cables with YJV22 armored type, whose steel tape armored structure can effectively resist sandstorm wear, construction machinery damage, and rodent damage; for underground laid cables, we also added an additional waterproof outer layer to avoid scratches on the cable outer skin by sand and gravel in the soil, greatly reducing the risk of line failures and ensuring the smooth progress of the project.

3. To address the pain point of high international certification thresholds, we sorted out the three major international certification requirements of IEC 62930, TÜV, and UL4703 required by the project in advance, provided complete certification documents for the customer, including the TUV EN 50618 certificate of photovoltaic cables (certificate number B 126326 0001 Rev.00), and arranged special personnel to dock with the customer's compliance review work, assisting the customer in completing all certification-related processes throughout the process to ensure that all cables meet international standards and successfully pass the acceptance of international financial institutions such as the IFC, avoiding project delays caused by lack of certification and saving valuable time costs for the customer.

4. To address the pain point of high pressure on the batch delivery cycle, we adopted a modular production model, producing different specifications of cables in batches, and formulated a scientific and reasonable batch delivery plan for the customer in combination with the EPC section construction progress; in addition, we also established a special inventory to accurately match the selection needs of different sections, ensuring the stability of batch delivery; finally, we completed the delivery of all cables 7 days in advance, successfully solving the customer's worry of "difficult batch delivery and unstable cycle", which is also different from other suppliers with single production and delayed delivery, demonstrating our strong production and delivery capabilities.

5. To address the pain point of complex selection caused by parallel multiple EPCs and inconsistent grid connection standards, we provided the customer with a "multi-certification unified model" solution, where cables of the same specification can be compatible with the standard requirements of different sections, greatly reducing the complexity of customer selection; at the same time, we arranged professional technical personnel to dock with each EPC section, providing professional selection guidance for them, avoiding installation inconvenience caused by model confusion, ensuring that the construction of each section can proceed simultaneously, and improving the overall construction efficiency of the project.

IV. Consolidating the Foundation of Project Cooperation

(I) Safety Assurance

As a large-scale photovoltaic project, the safety of cables directly determines the stable operation of the project; therefore, we have built a solid safety defense line for customers from three core links: production, testing, and transportation; in the production link, we adopted automated production lines, strictly controlled the quality of raw materials such as conductors, insulation, and sheaths, established a sound raw material inspection mechanism, and eliminated unqualified raw materials from entering the factory to ensure that the production quality of each batch of cables meets the standards; in the testing link, each batch of cables has undergone 12 strict tests including insulation resistance test, voltage resistance test, aging resistance test, and wear test, and a detailed test report will be issued to ensure that the product performance is fully up to standard and can adapt to the use needs of the harsh desert environment; in the transportation link, we adopted professional moisture-proof and wear-proof packaging, selected professional international logistics partners for the special transportation environment of the Egyptian Desert, arranged special personnel to track the transportation status of goods throughout the process to avoid damage during transportation, and at the same time, we assisted the customer in completing the Egyptian COI customs clearance certification to ensure that the goods can enter the country smoothly, providing guarantee for the smooth construction of the project.

(II) Delivery Execution

During the project cooperation period, we specially set up a special project team to dock with the customer's various needs throughout the process; in the early stage of the project, we deeply understood the construction progress, cable demand, and specification requirements of each section of the project, optimized the selection plan for the customer in combination with the customer's cost control goals, helping the customer reduce procurement costs while ensuring project quality; in the middle stage of the project, we synchronously updated the cable production progress to the customer in real time, timely fed back various problems arising in the production process, and flexibly adjusted the production plan according to the customer's needs to ensure that the production progress is synchronized with the construction progress; in the later stage of the project, after the delivery of goods, we arranged professional technical personnel to provide remote installation guidance for the customer, patiently answered the technical questions encountered by the customer during the installation process, and provided later maintenance suggestions to ensure that the cables are installed standardly and operate stably; the entire delivery process was efficient and transparent, which was highly recognized by the customer.

V. Project Achievements, Cooperation Value and Customer Feedback

(I) Project Achievements

In this cable supply cooperation for the Benban photovoltaic project, we delivered a total of more than 1,200 kilometers of various cables, covering five core specifications; all cables successfully passed the project acceptance without any quality problems; since the project was connected to the grid and put into operation, the cables we provided have been operating stably, with transmission loss lower than the industry average, and no aging, wear, failure, or other situations have occurred, effectively ensuring the stable power generation of the 150MW photovoltaic power station; the power station can help the project reduce carbon dioxide emissions by about 180,000 tons per year, providing strong support for Egypt's green energy development, and this cooperation has also become a landmark project for us in the field of cable export in the African photovoltaic market, demonstrating our product strength and service level.

(II) Cooperation Value

For the customer, our products and services not only met the project's compliance requirements and desert environment adaptation requirements but also helped the customer effectively control procurement costs, shorten the project cycle, reduce later maintenance costs, greatly improve the overall competitiveness of the project, and assist the customer in successfully completing the project delivery and gaining a good reputation; for us, this cooperation further consolidated our position in the Egyptian photovoltaic market, accumulated rich experience in cable supply for large-scale concentrated photovoltaic projects, fully proved our strength in the field of cable export and photovoltaic cable customization, and laid a solid foundation for the subsequent expansion of the African photovoltaic market; at the same time, our customized solutions also provided valuable reference for cable selection of similar desert photovoltaic projects, promoting the technological upgrading and development of the photovoltaic cable industry in harsh environments.

(III) Customer Feedback

The customer was highly satisfied with this cooperation, fully recognizing the excellent quality of our products, complete international certifications, and timely and efficient delivery capabilities; the customer believed that our customized solutions accurately addressed the core pain points faced by the project, and especially our performance in international certification docking and batch delivery guarantee exceeded the customer's expectations; the customer clearly stated that in the subsequent photovoltaic projects in Egypt and other parts of Africa, they will continue to carry out in-depth cooperation with us, and at the same time are willing to recommend us to other EPC enterprises participating in African photovoltaic projects, becoming our long-term and stable cooperative partners, which also provides strong support for our subsequent expansion of the African market.

VI. Jointly Develop the African Photovoltaic Market

As the core region of the African photovoltaic market, the successful cooperation case of the Benban Solar Park fully proves our strong strength in the field of cable export and photovoltaic cable supply; we not only have complete international certifications, including the TUV EN 50618 certificate of photovoltaic cables (certificate number B 126326 0001 Rev.00) and IEC 62930, but also have rich experience in undertaking large-scale photovoltaic projects, professional customized solution capabilities, and efficient and stable delivery capabilities, which can provide a full range of high-quality cable products for various photovoltaic projects, while meeting international compliance requirements and adapting to the use needs of different harsh environments.

If you are participating in photovoltaic projects in Egypt and other parts of Africa and are facing various problems such as cable selection, international certification, and batch delivery, please feel free to contact us at any time; we will provide you with one-on-one customized solutions, and with high-quality products, professional services, and competitive prices, help your project land smoothly, and work with you to develop the African green energy market to achieve mutual benefit and win-win results and common development.

Contact Information

Dongguan GERITEL Electrical Co., Ltd.

Tel/WhatsApp/WeChat: +86 135 1078 4550 / +86 136 6257 9592

Email: manager01@greaterwire.com