The China Construction Industry Association recently announced that the Nikopol solar power plant -- a 246-megawatt (MW) photovoltaic (PV) power facility undertaken by Sinomach -- has won the 2020-21 Luban Prize, China's top award for construction engineering, in the overseas project sector.

Aerial image of the Nikopol solar power plant in Ukraine.

The project, on a 400-hectare site near Nikopol in the Dnipropetrovsk region, is one of the biggest solar power facilities in Ukraine and is the first large solar project built by a Chinese contractor in the country.

Construction of the project began in April 2018 and it became part of the national grid of Ukraine in March 2019. Sinomach subsidiary China Machinery Engineering Corporation (CMEC) and DTEK Renewables (DTEK) jointly invested in the project.

In 2018 DTEK signed an agreement with CMEC for the design and construction of the plant. CMEC acted as the engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contractor for the project.

The plant is installed with 750,000 photovoltaic solar modules with a capacity of 330W each and 80 inverter stations. Each module consists of 72 pieces of pint-sized solar cells. The front glass is 3.2 millimeters thick and features anti-reflective coating.

The photovoltaic modules can produce higher power output at low irradiance, have a class C fire rating, and are installed with safety systems to prevent salt mist corrosion. They are fitted with a ground rack system and can withstand mechanical loads of up to 5,400Pa.

In accordance with the high executive standards of Chinese engineering projects, the contractor CMEC ensured smooth, high-quality construction and created nearly 2,000 local jobs, bringing considerable economic and social benefits.

The Ukrainian government plans to scale-up its renewable energy consumption. The project has greatly increased the local new energy installation capacity and secured electricity for 100,000 people, which will play a crucial part in promoting the structural adjustment of the local energy industry. China-Ukraine cooperation in the field of energy has also been strengthened, leading the way of the introduction of Chinese equipment to Europe.

Notably, the project has reduced nearly one million tons of carbon dioxide emissions, helping realize China's targets of reaching a carbon peak before 2030 and carbon neutrality before 2060.

Model map of the Nikopol solar power plant designed by Sinomach CMEC in Ukraine.

Sinomach, a leading central enterprise in high-end equipment manufacturing and a front-runner of China's machinery and equipment technology, has been making unceasing efforts to boost the further development of the Belt and Road Initiative, and to contribute to national strategy and economic growth through international business development and quality enhancement.

The Luban Prize, also known as the China Construction Engineering Luban Prize (National Prime-quality Project), is the highest honor for construction quality in China's construction industry.

The prize is awarded every two years and sets strict rules for candidate projects, which are usually newly constructed or extended projects that have been completed by Chinese companies.