Sierra Leone Baoma Solar Power Station

During the critical period of Sierra Leone's energy transition, in 2024, we, Dongguan GERITEL Electrical Co., Ltd., successfully provided a full set of cable export solutions for the Sierra Leone Baoma Large-Scale Ground-Mounted Solar Power Station, helping this national demonstration solar project achieve grid connection and power generation smoothly. As the core project of Sierra Leone's energy replacement strategy, this project is promoted by international capital under the IPP + PPP model, aiming to solve the predicament of low local power coverage, severe power shortage in rural areas, high cost and instability of diesel power generation. Our standardized and high-specification cables have become the core support for the stable operation of the project, which also confirms our professional strength and quality advantages in the cable export field.

I. Project Background

Sierra Leone is a typical energy market with "initial development + high growth + off-grid focus". According to data from SolarQuarter, the country's total photovoltaic installed capacity is less than 150MW, with extremely low power coverage. Rural areas have long been in a state of power shortage, and daily power supply mainly relies on diesel generation, which is not only costly but also extremely unstable, seriously restricting local economic development and people's livelihood improvement. As Sierra Leone's first large-scale grid-connected photovoltaic project, the Baoma Solar Power Station involves international financial institutions (IFC) and is a national demonstration project. Any equipment failure may affect the advancement of national energy policies and international investment reputation, thus putting extremely high requirements on the reliability, environmental resistance and compliance of cables.

When selecting cable suppliers in the early stage, the project party faced multiple core pain points: the local power grid is extremely weak and grid connection is unstable; extreme environments (high temperature, high humidity, strong UV) are prone to cause cable aging and failure; construction conditions are backward and operation and maintenance capabilities are weak; coordination of multiple systems (photovoltaic + energy storage + diesel) is difficult; coupled with the TÜV and IEC certification pressure brought by international financing, ordinary cables cannot meet the project requirements at all. After multiple rounds of selection and on-site inspections, the project party finally chose us. The core reason is that our cable products not only meet international standards and have authoritative certifications, but also can specifically solve all the pain points of the project. In addition, we have rich experience in undertaking similar projects and guarantee fast delivery.

II. Introduction to Core Products

This project mainly adopts our standardized and high-specification cables, among which photovoltaic DC cables are the core products, running through the entire process of the power station. Combined with YJV power cables, armored medium-voltage cables, yellow-green grounding cables, control and communication cables, etc., a complete set of solutions is formed. The key information of core PV cables and the full series of products is highlighted below:

(I) Core Product - Photovoltaic DC Cables

1. Product Overview: The H1Z2Z2-K type photovoltaic DC cables selected for this project are specially adapted to the DC transmission needs of large-scale ground-mounted solar power stations. They are the core carriers connecting photovoltaic modules, combiner boxes and inverters, undertaking the key task of power transmission. Their performance directly determines the power generation efficiency and stability of the power station.

2. Product Certification: Our PV cables have passed TÜV EN 50618 certification with certificate number B 126326 0001 Rev.00, which fully meets the relevant EU standards and the certification requirements of the project's international financing, and can directly pass IEC and TÜV acceptance. All other series of cables have IEC 62930 certification, ensuring the compliance of product quality and allowing customers to avoid the risk of certification and acceptance.

3. Relevant Product Data: This type of photovoltaic DC cable meets the rated voltage of 1500V DC, adapting to the high-voltage transmission needs of the power station; the typical specifications are 1×4mm² and 1×6mm², which can be flexibly matched according to the module power; the conductor operating temperature can reach 120℃, the environmental adaptation temperature range is -40℃ to +90℃, and the short-circuit temperature can withstand 200℃ (for 5 seconds), which is fully adapted to the high temperature and large day-night temperature difference environment in Sierra Leone; the transmission efficiency is as high as 99.8%, which can effectively reduce power loss.

4. Product Structure and Color: It adopts tinned copper conductor, which has excellent electrical conductivity and corrosion resistance, effectively extending the service life; both the insulation layer and the sheath are made of XLPO material. Among them, H1Z2Z2-K adopts a double-layer insulation structure, which has better electrical and mechanical properties, and stronger anti-aging and anti-UV capabilities than the single insulation layer of PV1-F; the cable color is black, which is dirt-resistant and easy to identify, and has good wear resistance, adapting to the complex outdoor environment.

5. Installation Scenarios: It is mainly used for series connection between photovoltaic modules, transmission from modules to combiner boxes, and DC transmission from combiner boxes to inverters, covering the entire area of the power station's photovoltaic array. It can adapt to various installation methods such as outdoor open-air laying and cable trench laying, and can resist extreme environments such as strong UV and high humidity without additional protection.

(II) Full-Series Supporting Cables

1. YJV Power Cables: The rated voltage is 0.6/1kV, and the typical specifications are 3×70mm² and 3×120mm², which are flexibly configured according to the capacity changes in different areas of the power station. They are mainly used for low-voltage AC transmission from the inverter output to the step-up transformer, ensuring the stability of the local system and avoiding voltage fluctuations. Compared with ordinary low-voltage cables, our YJV cables adopt XLPE insulation material, which has better heat resistance and insulation, and larger transmission capacity, adapting to the high-load transmission needs of the power station.

2. Armored Medium-Voltage Cables: The NA2XSY type is selected, with rated voltages covering 6kV, 11kV and 33kV, and typical specifications are 3×120mm² and 3×240mm², which are used for long-distance transmission from the step-up station to the power grid interface. The armored structure design has extremely strong resistance to mechanical damage and environmental corrosion, making it more suitable for the backward infrastructure and complex construction scenarios in Sierra Leone than ordinary medium-voltage cables, and can effectively resist power grid fluctuations to ensure stable grid connection.

3. Yellow-Green Grounding Cables (PE Cable): An essential product for safety guarantee, with typical specifications of 16mm², 25mm² and 35mm², and the color is standard yellow-green bicolor for easy identification. It is mainly used for equipment grounding and lightning protection systems, which can effectively conduct lightning current, prevent equipment leakage, and reduce the safety hazards of the power station. Its electrical conductivity and mechanical strength are better than ordinary grounding cables, adapting to the harsh outdoor environment.

4. Control and Communication Cables: KVV and LiYCY shielded control cables are selected, which are mainly used for SCADA systems, inverter monitoring, power station data transmission, and coordination control of photovoltaic, energy storage and diesel multiple systems. The shielding design can effectively avoid signal interference, and the signal transmission is more stable than ordinary control cables, which can prevent inverter misoperation and ensure the coordinated operation of multiple systems, solving the pain point of difficult coordination of multiple systems in the project.

5. Energy Storage Special Cables (Battery Cable): Designed with large cross-section, it has high flexibility, flame-retardant and low-smoke characteristics, and is used to connect energy storage systems and inverters, adapting to the complex photovoltaic + energy storage + diesel system of the power station. It can withstand the high-load transmission of the energy storage system, and the flame-retardant and low-smoke characteristics can reduce the risk of fire, meeting international safety standards.

III. Core Selling Points

Compared with other suppliers, our products and services have five core advantages, which are also the key reasons why the project party finally chose us:

1. Authoritative Certification Support, Worry-Free Compliance: PV cables have TÜV EN 50618 certification (certificate number B 126326 0001 Rev.00), and other cables have passed IEC 62930 certification, which fully meets the standard requirements of international financial institutions such as IEC and TÜV. They can pass acceptance without additional rectification, solving the certification pressure of the project party, which is also one of our core competencies different from other suppliers.

2. Specifically Solve Project Pain Points with Strong Adaptability: Our cables are designed for the pain points such as extreme environment, weak power grid and backward construction in Sierra Leone. For example, the XLPO insulation + double-layer sheath of H1Z2Z2-K PV cables has outstanding anti-UV, moisture-proof and heat aging resistance, and its service life is more than 10 years longer than that of ordinary PV cables; flexible DC cables and shielded control cables are easy to construct, reducing the construction difficulty and labor cost of local technical personnel.

3. Stable Quality, More Worry-Free Maintenance: All cables are made of high-quality raw materials. Core materials such as tinned copper conductors and XLPO insulation are strictly selected, and the production process is fully quality-controlled. The products are durable with low failure rate and can achieve long-term maintenance-free operation, perfectly adapting to the current situation of weak local operation and maintenance capabilities and insufficient spare parts, helping the project party reduce long-term operation and maintenance costs.

4. Standardized Production, Fast Delivery: We have mature production lines, which can realize standardized and large-scale production. For this project, we give priority to allocating production capacity to ensure that all cables are delivered on time, 3-5 days faster than the industry average delivery time, avoiding the impact of delayed cable delivery on the project progress, which is also a point highly valued by the project party.

5. Rich Engineering Experience, Full-Service Support: We have many years of experience in undertaking cables for large-scale ground-mounted solar power stations, and are familiar with the standard requirements and processes of international projects. We provide one-on-one full-service support from early product selection and specification matching to later installation guidance and after-sales guarantee, helping the project party solve many practical problems and making the project progress more smoothly.

IV. Solutions

In view of the 7 core pain points faced by the project party, we have formulated precise solutions combined with our own product advantages, and followed up the project progress throughout the process to ensure that each pain point can be effectively solved:

1. Extremely Weak Power Grid + Unstable Grid Connection: NA2XSY armored medium-voltage cables are selected for the transmission from the step-up station to the power grid interface. Their characteristics of resistance to mechanical damage, high temperature resistance and long-term stability can effectively resist power grid fluctuations and ensure stable long-distance power transmission; combined with YJV cables, the stable transmission of the local system from the inverter output to the step-up transformer is ensured, completely solving the problems of voltage fluctuation and power outage, so that the project party does not need to worry about grid connection stability.

2. High Reliability Requirements: With H1Z2Z2-K photovoltaic DC cables as the core, the high-reliability connection between photovoltaic modules, combiner boxes and inverters is ensured. Their high temperature resistance, high humidity resistance and anti-UV characteristics can adapt to the complex outdoor environment; KVV and LiYCY shielded control cables are selected to ensure stable signals of inverters and monitoring systems, avoid misoperation, meet the high reliability requirements of national demonstration projects, and guarantee the project reputation and international investment reputation.

3. Extreme Environment: H1Z2Z2-K photovoltaic DC cables adopt XLPO insulation + sheath, which has outstanding anti-UV, moisture-proof and heat aging resistance, which can effectively avoid cable aging and insulation failure, and reduce the risk of maintenance and shutdown; the armored design of NA2XSY armored medium-voltage cables can resist environmental corrosion and mechanical damage, adapting to the extreme environment of high temperature, high humidity and strong UV in Sierra Leone, and its service life is more than twice that of ordinary cables.

4. Poor Construction Conditions + Backward Infrastructure: Flexible DC cables are provided, which are convenient for long-distance wiring and bypassing on-site obstacles, reducing transportation and construction difficulties; KVV and LiYCY shielded control cables are simple to construct and easy to connect to SCADA systems and inverters, adapting to the current situation of limited local construction technology, effectively improving construction efficiency, reducing labor costs and rework risks, and ensuring the project is completed on time.

5. Weak Operation and Maintenance Capabilities: All cables are made of high-quality materials and precision craftsmanship, especially H1Z2Z2-K photovoltaic DC cables and armored medium-voltage cables, which are durable with long service life and can achieve low maintenance or even maintenance-free operation, reducing dependence on local technical personnel and spare parts, solving long-term operation and maintenance hidden dangers of the project, and allowing the project party to not worry about later operation and maintenance issues.

6. Complex Multiple Systems: Energy storage special cables (Battery Cable) are provided, which have the characteristics of large cross-section, high flexibility, flame retardancy and low smoke, and can perfectly connect energy storage systems and inverters; combined with LiYCY shielded control cables, signal interference is effectively avoided, ensuring the coordinated operation of photovoltaic, energy storage and diesel three systems, reducing system conflicts and debugging problems, and improving the overall operation efficiency of the power station.

7. Certification Pressure from International Financing: All cables meet IEC/TÜV standards, PV cables have TÜV EN 50618 certification (certificate number B 126326 0001 Rev.00), and other cables have passed IEC 62930 certification, which fully meets the requirements of international financial institutions such as IFC and TÜV, allowing customers to accept with confidence and successfully obtain international financing support.

V. Safety Guarantee and Full-Process Controllable Delivery

(I) Safety Guarantee: We always put product safety first. All cables have undergone strict quality inspections, including comprehensive tests of electrical performance, mechanical performance and environmental resistance, to ensure that the products meet international standards and project requirements; for PV cables, additional special tests are carried out in accordance with TÜV EN 50618 standards, including anti-UV aging, high and low temperature impact resistance, flame retardancy and other tests, to ensure the safety and stability of products in extreme environments; at the same time, we provide comprehensive safe construction guidance to help on-site construction personnel install standardizedly and reduce safety hazards.

(II) Delivery Execution: After the project is launched, we set up a special docking team to follow up the project progress throughout the process. According to the project construction plan, we accurately allocate production capacity to ensure that all cables are produced and shipped on time; in view of the inconvenient logistics in Sierra Leone, we plan the logistics route in advance and select reliable international logistics partners to ensure that the cables are safely and punctually delivered to the project site; at the same time, we arrange professional technical personnel to follow up on-site installation, provide technical guidance, solve various problems encountered in the installation process, ensure that the cables are installed standardizedly and operate stably, and finally guarantee the project to be connected to the grid for power generation on time.

VI. Final Results

Through the joint efforts of us and the project party, the Sierra Leone Baoma Large-Scale Ground-Mounted Solar Power Station has successfully connected to the grid for power generation. Up to now, the power station has been operating stably, and the power generation efficiency has reached the expected target, which has effectively alleviated the local power shortage, replaced part of the diesel power generation, reduced the power supply cost, and provided strong support for local economic development and people's livelihood improvement.

This cooperation not only demonstrates our professional strength in the cable export field, but also lays a solid foundation for us in Sierra Leone and the emerging African energy market. The project party highly recognizes our product quality, delivery speed and full-service support, and believes that our cables have perfectly solved all the pain points faced by the project, meet international standards with outstanding cost performance, and provide core guarantee for the successful implementation of the project. At the same time, through this project, we have further optimized the cable solutions for the emerging African energy market, which can better adapt to local market needs and provide high-quality cable products and services for more African photovoltaic projects.

VII. Choose Us to Jointly Start a New Journey of African Energy

The successful case of the Sierra Leone Baoma Solar Power Station fully proves the reliability and adaptability of our cable products in extreme environments and complex projects. If you are also carrying out photovoltaic power station projects in Africa and other regions around the world, facing pain points such as unstable power grid, extreme environment, certification pressure, and difficult construction and operation and maintenance, and need high-quality, standardized, international standard-compliant cable products and professional solutions, please feel free to contact us.

We have authoritative product certifications, rich engineering experience, fast delivery guarantee and perfect after-sales service. We can customize exclusive cable solutions according to your project needs to help your project implement smoothly and operate stably, achieving mutual benefit and win-win results.

Contact Information:

Dongguan GERITEL Electrical Co., Ltd.

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

Email: manager01@greaterwire.com