Santarém Solar Complex 272MW Utility-Scale PV Project in Portugal

Against the backdrop of accelerated global energy transition and Europe's vigorous promotion of renewable energy deployment, Portugal has become an important growth pole in the European photovoltaic (PV) industry, especially in the field of large-scale utility-scale PV power plants, thanks to its unique natural conditions and clear energy strategy. As a core participant in the Southern European PV market, Portugal has continuously increased its investment in renewable energy in recent years, aiming to achieve the net-zero emission target by 2050, with large-scale utility-scale PV power plants being the core carrier of its energy transition. The central region of the country has a Mediterranean climate, characterized by hot and dry summers and mild and rainy winters, with an annual sunshine duration of 2,500 to 3,200 hours, and a daily average sunshine duration of up to 10-12 hours in summer. The surface temperature often exceeds 30°C. The environmental characteristics of strong sunlight and high temperature not only provide sufficient resource support for photovoltaic power generation but also put extremely high requirements on the weather resistance of PV supporting equipment.

At the same time, the European PPA (Power Purchase Agreement) market is in a mature and stable development stage, entering a rational adjustment period in 2024 with an annual contract volume of 15GW. Among them, fixed-price PPAs still dominate, and long-term power purchase agreements have become the core model for large-scale PV projects to ensure returns. Against this industry background, the Santarém Solar Complex 272MW Utility-Scale PV Project emerged. Developed by Neoen, a world-leading renewable energy producer, this project is the largest PV power plant project in Portugal to date. It officially started construction at the end of 2022, is planned to complete commissioning in early 2024, and gradually enter the PPA performance stage in 2025. The completion of the project is a milestone for Portugal to promote energy transition and increase the penetration rate of renewable energy.

From 2024 to 2025, we successfully participated in the cable export supply of this project, providing a full range of compliant and certified PV cables and accurately adapted scenario-based solutions to perfectly solve the core pain points of the customer. This has become a benchmark case of Chinese cable exports to large-scale European PV projects, demonstrating our professional strength in the fields of cable export and PV cable supply. This cooperation is not only an important breakthrough for us to expand the European PV market but also builds a solid bridge for Sino-Portuguese renewable energy cooperation, helping Portugal achieve its clean energy development goals.

Scenario Insight: Full-Link Pain Points of the Power Plant Drive Cable Supply Upgrade

The Santarém Solar Complex project is located in Azambuja, central Portugal, 70 kilometers north of Lisbon, in a high-irradiation area. As a mainstream 200MW+ utility-scale PV power plant in Europe, it has a total installed capacity of 272MWp, consisting of two sub-projects: Rio Maior (204MWp) and Torre Bela (68MWp). The two sub-projects are geographically adjacent and adopt a phased development and phased grid-connection model, which not only effectively eases the project investment pressure but also achieves early cash flow generation and reduces construction and grid-connection risks. This is also the most typical development method for large-scale European PV projects currently.

The project adopts a long-term PPA model, in which about 80% of the power generation is sold through two 15-year government power purchase agreements, and the remaining power and energy certificates are traded in the electricity market. This model not only locks in the electricity price in advance to ensure stable returns of the project for 10-15 years but also helps the developer successfully obtain bank financing and reduce project investment risks, which is in line with the development trend of "long-term stability and risk sharing" in the current European PPA market. The project is equipped with more than 500,000 bifacial PV modules, combined with tracking brackets and centralized inverters, adopting a standardized design idea with strong replicability. At the same time, it focuses on ecological protection, retaining more than 6,000 cork oaks, a protected tree species in Portugal, during the construction process, and connecting biodiversity reserves through green corridors to achieve the coordinated development of clean energy development and ecological protection.

As a super-large PV power plant, its annual power generation after completion is expected to exceed 500GWh, which can meet the annual electricity demand of 110,000 households, and play an important role in reducing regional carbon emissions and alleviating energy shortages. However, at the same time, the electrical system of the project has extremely large demand and high requirements for cables. The core demand covers the entire PV link, from the DC side transmission from the module array to the combiner box and inverter, to the AC low-voltage side connection from the inverter to the step-up transformer, and then to the medium-voltage grid connection, energy storage system and grounding system. The selection of cables in each link directly affects the stability, safety and service life of the project. Coupled with the environmental characteristics of strong sunlight and high surface temperature in Portugal, as well as the strict TÜV, IEC and EN 50618 standards in Europe, the cable supply of the project faces multiple challenges.

Combined with the core characteristics of the project, such as phased construction, outdoor high irradiation and large-volume supply, the customer faced six scenario-based pain points in the cable procurement process. Each pain point is directly related to the project grid-connection progress and long-term returns, becoming a key bottleneck restricting the project progress:

First, the "volume and loss" problem of DC side transmission: the 500,000 modules of the project are scattered, and the demand for DC side cables from the module array to the combiner box and inverter reaches hundreds of thousands of meters. Short-distance transmission needs to balance cost and efficiency, while long-distance transmission needs to reduce line loss to avoid power generation waste. Ordinary cables either have too high line loss or cannot meet the large-volume supply demand; Second, the "supply interruption risk" of construction period connection: the project adopts assembly line construction, and the two sub-projects of Rio Maior and Torre Bela are advanced alternately. Cables need to be delivered accurately in batches. Once the supply is interrupted, the entire construction link will be stagnant, directly delaying the grid-connection time. According to the PPA agreement, each day of delay in grid connection will result in a loss of several hundred thousand yuan in returns; Third, the "quality adaptation" dilemma of multiple links: the project's electrical link is complex. From the DC side to the AC side, and from medium-voltage grid connection to the grounding system, the specifications and performance requirements of cables in different links are quite different. Multi-supplier supply is prone to inconsistent quality and incompatible joints, making it difficult to define responsibilities in case of failures in the later period and increasing operation and maintenance costs; Fourth, the "weather resistance test" of the outdoor environment: the surface temperature in central Portugal can reach above 35°C in summer, with long hours of strong UV radiation. The insulation layer of ordinary cables is prone to aging, cracking and hardening, which cannot meet the 25-year design life of the project. If the cables are replaced midway, the construction and operation and maintenance costs will be greatly increased; Fifth, the "compliance threshold" for European grid connection: as an EU member state, Portuguese PV projects require cables to pass TÜV and IEC certifications and provide a complete technical data package. Ordinary suppliers lack complete certification documents and cannot pass the project acceptance, directly leading to delayed grid connection; Sixth, the "cost pressure" of the LCOE (Levelized Cost of Electricity) target: as a benchmark project with extremely low LCOE, the electricity price is strictly locked. The EPC needs to strictly control the procurement cost while ensuring the cable quality. Ordinary suppliers either have low price and low quality or high price and high quality, which cannot achieve the balance between "cost and quality".

Scenario-Based Breakthrough: Full-Link Cable Solutions, Every Parameter Adapts to Project Needs

In response to the scenario-based pain points of each link of the project, we abandoned the "one-size-fits-all" product supply model, deeply bound the parameters of each cable with specific application scenarios, clarified the actual purpose of each parameter, and provided customized full-link cable solutions for the customer combined with the advantages of the full range of TÜV certifications (Certificate No.: B 126326 0001 Rev.00). This became the core reason why the customer finally chose us - compared with other suppliers, our products not only meet compliance standards but also can accurately solve the core pain points of each scenario, making the cables the "lifeline" for the stable operation of the project.

1. H1Z2Z2-K Single Core Solar Cable, Balancing Large-Volume Supply and Low Loss Requirements

This scenario corresponds to the short-distance transmission from the module array to the combiner box and inverter, as well as the long-distance transmission of the DC main line from the combined multiple strings to the inverter. The core needs are "large-volume supply, low line loss, UV resistance and easy installation". We specifically provideH1Z2Z2-K Solar Cable, with different specifications accurately matching different transmission distances, and each parameter is designed to solve scenario pain points:

- 1×4 mm² specification (most commonly used): suitable for short-distance transmission from the module array to the combiner box. The design of the conductor cross-section of this specification can not only meet the carrying demand of the output current of the module (avoiding overload) but also control the cable cost. At the same time, the lightweight design is convenient for large-scale outdoor laying, adapting to the large-volume demand of hundreds of thousands of meters of the project; The conductor is made of Class 5 tinned copper, whose core purpose is to improve oxidation resistance and corrosion resistance, cope with the outdoor humid and strong UV environment in Portugal, and avoid poor contact and increased line loss caused by conductor oxidation; Both insulation and sheath are made of XLPO material, with a rated voltage of DC 1500V. The rated voltage of DC 1500V is suitable for the output voltage of PV modules, avoiding insulation layer breakdown caused by excessive voltage. The XLPO material has excellent UV resistance and high temperature resistance, and can operate stably in the environment of -40°C ~ 120°C, perfectly coping with the high temperature and strong sunlight environment in Portugal in summer and preventing the insulation layer from aging and cracking; The product complies with EN 50618 / TÜV standards to ensure compliance and avoid acceptance risks.

- 1×6 mm² specification: suitable for long-distance transmission from the module array to the inverter. Compared with the 1×4 mm² specification, the larger conductor cross-section can effectively reduce line loss and reduce power generation waste - for a 272MW large-scale power plant, every 1% reduction in line loss during long-distance transmission can generate an additional 5GWh of electricity per year, which is equivalent to creating hundreds of thousands of yuan in additional revenue for the project, perfectly solving the line loss pain point of long-distance transmission.

- 1×10 mm² and 1×16 mm² specifications (DC main line): suitable for the transmission scenario from the combined multiple strings to the inverter. After the combination of multiple strings, the current increases significantly. The large cross-section conductor of this specification can carry larger current to avoid cable overheating. At the same time, the flexible design of the XLPO sheath is convenient for laying under the tracking bracket, adapting to the standardized construction needs of the project, and solving the problem of poor flexibility and inconvenient installation of ordinary large cross-section cables.

2. 0.6/1kV XLPE Power Cable, Carrying Core Current and Ensuring Link Stability

This scenario corresponds to the AC low-voltage side connection from the inverter to the step-up transformer, which is the core link of the power conversion of the power plant. The core needs are "large current carrying, anti-interference and adaptation to outdoor environment". We provide 0.6/1kV XLPE Power Cable with specifications of 3×240 mm² + 120 mm² (PE) and 3×300 mm² + 150 mm² (PE). The parameter design is completely in line with the scenario needs:

- 3×240 mm² + 120 mm² (PE) and 3×300 mm² + 150 mm² (PE) specifications: the 3-core main line is used for transmitting three-phase AC power. The larger the conductor cross-section, the stronger the current carrying capacity. The 3×240 mm² specification is suitable for medium and low current transmission of the Rio Maior sub-project (204MWp), and the 3×300 mm² specification is suitable for high current transmission of the Torre Bela sub-project (68MWp), accurately matching the capacity difference of the two sub-projects; The PE wire (protective wire) specifications are 120 mm² and 150 mm², whose core purpose is to ensure electrical safety. When the cable leaks electricity, the PE wire can quickly conduct the current, trigger the protection device, and avoid equipment damage and personal safety hazards.

- Copper conductor + XLPE insulation + PVC or LSZH sheath: the copper conductor has excellent electrical conductivity, which can reduce the loss during current transmission, and has good heat dissipation to avoid cable overheating during large current transmission; The insulation performance of XLPE insulation material is better than that of ordinary PVC, which can effectively resist outdoor interference and prevent leakage; PVC or LSZH sheath can be selected according to the needs of different areas of the project. The LSZH sheath has low smoke and halogen-free characteristics and is used in areas close to ecological reserves to avoid toxic gases generated in case of fire, which is in line with the project's concept of ecological protection.

3. Medium Voltage Cable (MV), Adapting to Grid Standards and Ensuring Smooth Grid Connection

This scenario corresponds to the medium-voltage grid connection transmission from the step-up transformer to the collection line, which is the key link for the power plant's electrical energy to access the public power grid. The core needs are "high-voltage adaptation, anti-interference and compliance with standards". The project needs to access the 30kV public power grid in Portugal. The Medium Voltage Cable (MV) we provide has specifications of 12/20kV 3×240 mm² and 18/30kV 3×300 mm². Every structural design serves the grid connection needs:

- Rated voltage of 12/20kV and 18/30kV: the 12/20kV specification is suitable for medium-voltage transmission at the outlet of the step-up transformer, and the 18/30kV specification is suitable for transmission from the collection line to the grid interface, accurately matching the voltage standard of the Portuguese power grid and avoiding grid connection failure caused by voltage mismatch; The 3×240 mm² and 3×300 mm² conductor cross-sections can carry large currents in medium-voltage transmission, and reduce transmission line loss at the same time, ensuring efficient transmission of electrical energy to the public power grid.

- Copper conductor + XLPE insulation + copper tape shielding + PE or LSZH sheath: the copper conductor ensures the stability and conductivity of high-voltage transmission; The XLPE insulation material has excellent high-voltage insulation performance, which can resist electric field interference during medium-voltage transmission and avoid insulation breakdown; The core purpose of copper tape shielding is to shield the electromagnetic interference generated during cable transmission, prevent impact on surrounding electrical equipment and power grid, and enhance the mechanical strength of the cable; The PE or LSZH sheath is suitable for outdoor environment, with UV resistance and high and low temperature resistance, ensuring long-term stable operation of the cable outdoors.

4. Accurately Adapting to Scenarios and Building a Solid Safety Line of Defense

The project is equipped with a BESS (Battery Energy Storage System) to stabilize power generation fluctuations and ensure grid stability. At the same time, the grounding system is the core of the electrical safety of the power plant. We specifically provide cable products suitable for the scenario to solve the pain points of outdoor flexible installation and safe grounding:

- Energy storage system cables: select H07RN-F with specifications of 1×50 mm² and 1×95 mm². This type of cable has excellent flexibility, and its core purpose is to adapt to the outdoor installation and frequent bending scenarios of the energy storage system - energy storage equipment needs to be flexibly arranged, and flexible cables can facilitate installation and later maintenance; The 1×50 mm² specification is suitable for the connection between energy storage modules, and the 1×95 mm² specification is suitable for the connection between the energy storage system and the main circuit, which can carry large current transmission of the energy storage system and has good UV resistance and high temperature resistance, adapting to the outdoor environment.

- Grounding system cables: select grounding cables and bare copper wires with specifications of 1×16 mm² (equipment grounding), 1×25 mm² / 50 mm² (main grounding). The 1×16 mm² specification is used for the grounding of inverters, combiner boxes and other equipment. Its core purpose is to introduce static electricity and leakage from the equipment shell into the ground to avoid equipment damage and personal electric shock; The 1×25 mm² and 50 mm² specifications are used for the laying of the main grounding grid of the power plant. The larger conductor cross-section can quickly conduct lightning current and leakage current, build a solid electrical safety line of defense for the power plant, adapt to the safe grounding needs of the 272MW large-scale power plant, and avoid damage to the power plant caused by natural disasters such as lightning strikes.

Performance Guarantee

In response to the core needs of the project, such as large-volume supply, tight construction period and high compliance requirements, we not only provide scenario-based products but also establish a full-process performance guarantee system, ensuring the smooth progress of the project from four dimensions: production capacity, delivery, quality and compliance, and completely solving the customer's worries:

In terms of production capacity guarantee, we reserved exclusive production capacity for this project, equipped with a professional production team and production lines. In response to the demand for hundreds of thousands of meters of DC cables and large-volume, multi-batch MV cables, we optimized the production schedule to achieve "mass production + accurate batch delivery". At the same time, we established a safety stock mechanism, reserving 10% emergency stock to meet the urgent needs during the project construction, eliminating the risk of supply interruption and ensuring that the construction rhythm of the two sub-projects is not interrupted.

In terms of delivery guarantee, we set up an exclusive project team to connect with the customer's EPC team throughout the process. Combined with the phased construction progress of the project, we formulated an accurate delivery schedule, synchronizing cable delivery with the construction progress. For the cable needs of different links, we provide pre-cutting and labeling services - cutting the cable length in advance according to the construction points, marking the cable purpose and installation position, realizing "installable upon arrival", avoiding construction chaos caused by inconsistent delivery of multiple batches, greatly improving construction efficiency and helping the project connect to the grid in advance.

In terms of quality guarantee, we established a full-process quality control system, strictly controlling every link from raw material procurement (copper conductors, XLPO insulation and other raw materials are all high-quality materials meeting European standards), production and processing to finished product testing, ensuring the quality consistency of all batches of products. At the same time, each batch of cables is accompanied by a test report to ensure that the product performance meets the standards; In response to the outdoor weather resistance needs, all cables have passed UV resistance, high temperature resistance and aging resistance tests to ensure that the service life meets the 25-year design requirements, avoiding the trouble and cost of cable replacement in the later period.

In terms of compliance guarantee, we provide complete TÜV certification (Certificate No.: B 126326 0001 Rev.00) and IEC, EN 50618 standard documents, output a complete technical data package (Datasheet, Test Report, Certificate), and arrange a professional compliance team to assist the customer in preparing grid connection acceptance materials throughout the process, supporting the project acceptance and review process, ensuring that the cable products fully meet European standards, avoiding acceptance delays caused by non-compliance, and ensuring that the project enters the PPA performance stage on time.

Project Achievements: Benchmark Performance, Winning Recognition with Strength

Through close cooperation between both parties, we successfully completed the cable export supply task of the Santarém Solar Complex 272MW PV project, with no supply interruption, no delay and no quality problems throughout the process. All cable products successfully passed the project acceptance, fully adapting to the application scenarios of each link of the project, and perfectly solving the six core pain points of the customer.

As of the second half of 2025, the Rio Maior sub-project (204MWp) has successfully connected to the grid for power generation, and the Torre Bela sub-project (68MWp) has also completed all cable installation and commissioning, officially entering the grid connection stage. The overall power generation of the project has reached the expected target, with an annual power generation of more than 500GWh, which can meet the annual electricity demand of 110,000 households and reduce carbon emissions by about 400,000 tons per year, making an important contribution to Portugal's energy transition and ecological protection.

In this cooperation, our scenario-based product solutions, stable delivery capacity and professional service level have won high recognition from the customer. The customer stated that compared with other suppliers, our products not only have complete certifications and stable quality but also can accurately adapt to every application scenario of the project. Every parameter can solve actual pain points. At the same time, the large-volume supply capacity and emergency response capacity have effectively guaranteed the construction progress of the project, avoided the revenue loss caused by delayed grid connection, and provided strong support for the smooth progress of the project.

This cooperation has also become an important benchmark for us to expand the European PV market, proving our professional strength in the fields of cable export and PV cable supply, and laying a solid foundation for our subsequent participation in more large-scale European PV projects.

Work with Us to Unlock the Success Code of Large-Scale European PV Projects

The successful performance of the Santarém 272MW large-scale PV power plant has confirmed our product strength, performance capacity and service level. We have a complete PV cable product system, and the full range of products has passed TÜV certification (Certificate No.: B 126326 0001 Rev.00), strictly complying with EN 50618 and IEC standards. We can provide customized full-link cable solutions according to the scenario needs of large-scale European PV projects, accurately solving core pain points such as large-volume supply, weather resistance, compliance and cost control.

Whether you are promoting a 200MW+ large-scale utility-scale PV power plant in Europe or various small and medium-sized PV projects, facing difficulties such as cable supply, certification compliance and construction period connection, we can provide you with high-quality products, stable supply and professional services, helping your project connect to the grid smoothly, achieve long-term stable returns, reduce LCOE costs, and seize opportunities in the European PV market.

We look forward to working with you to embrace new opportunities for renewable energy development in Europe, and use professional cable solutions to escort every PV project!

Contact Information:

Dongguan GERITEL Electrical Co., Ltd.

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

Email: manager01@greaterwire.com