OCI Holdings Breaks Ground on 260-MW Solar Project in Texas, U.S.

[Financial News] OCI Holdings announced on the 3rd that its U.S. subsidiary, OCI Energy, held a groundbreaking ceremony on the 1st for the SunRoper solar farm, which it is jointly developing with Israeli energy company Arava Power.
The ceremony, held in Wharton County, Texas, was attended by key officials, including Lee Woo Hyun, chairman of OCI Holdings; Sabah Bayatli, president of OCI Energy; and Ilan Zidkoni, chief executive officer (CEO) of Arava Power.
The SunRoper project is a 260-MW solar farm being developed on a 1,714-acre (6.93 million square meter) site in Wharton County, Texas, with commercial operations targeted for next year.
OCI Energy and Arava Power are jointly developing the project, each holding a 50% stake. They secured project financing based on a long-term power purchase agreement (PPA) signed in February with a top-ranked Fortune company.
OCI Energy has pursued utility-scale solar development in Texas and other areas since 2012. Over the past 15 years or so, it has developed and sold solar projects totaling approximately 2 GW (2,000 MW). This year, it also completed the sale of its 50% stake in the 500-MW Lasaye project, which it is jointly developing with Arava Power. The Lasaye project is scheduled to break ground later this year, with commercial operations targeted for 2028.
Lee Woo Hyun, chairman of OCI Holdings, said, "Solar power continues to grow in the U.S. energy market as power demand rises due to AI data centers." He added, "The groundbreaking of the SunRoper project demonstrates that OCI Energy is expanding its direct operating base beyond its existing development-and-sale-focused business model and broadening opportunities to generate new revenue."
[email protected] Kim Mi-hee Reporter