SunPower forms JV with Apple for solar power developments in China

Apple has formed a joint venture (JV) with SunPower to build two solar energy plants at ABA Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefectures in China, totalling 40MW.

The facilities will each have a generation capacity of 20MW, and will be co-owned by the solar panel producer’s project development joint venture partner, Sichuan Shengtian New Energy Development.

The projects under consideration are Hongyuan Huanju Ecological Energy project and Ruoergai Huanju Ecological Energy project.

The facilities are expected to jointly deliver up to 80 million kilowatt-hours of renewable power annually, once commissioned.

SunPower president and CEO Tom Werner said, "This is a tremendous groundbreaking collaboration, bringing together a diverse group of experienced partners from different parts of the globe to build renewable solar energy ventures that contribute to the local economy and the environment.

"Our unique, existing partnerships in China allowed for these projects to come to fruition quickly."

"These projects will provide clean, renewable energy, help address climate change, and continue to provide agricultural benefits to the local farmers, while protecting the area’s precious land."

The solar power facilities are expected to be built by the end of this year, SunPower said.

SunPower will design and develop the projects according to its ‘light-on-land’ approach which will enable power production and offer agricultural benefit to local farmers at the same time.