Rachid Karame 5 MWp PV Plant

Project Details

Name	Year	Location	Client	Type	Description	Scope
Rachid Karame 5 MWp PV Plant	2017	Tripoli, Lebanon	Phoenix energy	Photovoltaic	First utility-grid connected 5 MWp solar PV plant impact study in Lebanon	Executed connection and grid impact assessment study

Project Background & Objectives

The Rachid Karame 5 MWp PV Plant project was initiated as a historic, utility-scale renewable energy milestone to advance the integration of clean power into the northern regional network of Tripoli, Lebanon. Commissioned by Phoenix energy, this pioneering infrastructure asset represented the first utility-grid connected 5 MWp solar PV plant impact study in Lebanon. Within this highly significant regulatory and structural engineering framework, PDP Energy was appointed to command the critical analytical modeling phase. The primary company-specific objectives centered on evaluating network compatibility and safety, where the engineering team successfully executed the connection and grid impact assessment study required to bridge the massive solar plant safely with the national utility grid.

Project Challenges

Interfacing the nation’s very first large-scale intermittent solar resource with a fragile, under-developed national utility network introduces profound electrical engineering and system stability hurdles. Simulating how an unstable grid would respond to rapid, real-time power fluctuations from a 5 MWp photovoltaic facility demands extremely sophisticated modeling. PDP Energy had to navigate complex analytical constraints, including conducting comprehensive load-flow modeling, calculating short-circuit current capacities, and executing transient stability simulations. Resolving these challenges was vital to identify potential voltage drops, harmonic distortions, or reverse power flows that could trip regional substations, disrupt the local transmission infrastructure, or compromise the safety of the utility workforce.

Project Outcomes

Operating as the specialized network consulting partner, PDP Energy successfully formulated and delivered the definitive connection and grid impact assessment study. The project effectively established an unprecedented technical blueprint and regulatory benchmark for utility-scale solar integration across Lebanon. By providing highly precise power evacuation models, localized protection schemes, and verified grid-interconnection parameters, PDP Energy cleared the path for the secure deployment of the 5 MWp renewable asset, giving state utility operators total operational confidence and accelerating the nation’s transition toward sustainable utility-grade power.

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