Bechtel to build 272-MW Texas solar farm for Turkey's Sabanci Renewables

• Turkey's Sabanci Renewables Inc has hired US design firm Bechtel Corp to construct the 272-MW (dc) Cutlass Solar II project it lately acquired in Fort Bend County, Texas.

Bechtel claimed on Thursday that its job will consist of design, procurement, building and construction, commissioning, as well as project administration for the solar farm scheme. Building is set to begin in the initial quarter of 2023, with jobs anticipated to wrap up in the second quarter of 2024.

"Bechtel's use of new technology in robotics and also digital management will certainly assist move Cutlass Solar Two from building and construction to operations in record time, bringing added renewable resource generation to Texas," said Kelley Brown, EPC Operations manager, North America Core Renewables, Bechtel Infrastructure.

Sabanci Renewable, a unit of Turkish conglomerate Sabanci Holdings (IST: SAHOL), acquired the Cutlass Solar II project from Switzerland's Advanced Power AG in October. The Fort Bend scheme is its first utility-scale solar project in the US.

The 1,100-acre (445.2 ha) site is located concerning 40 miles (64.4 km) southwest of Houston. The solar farm will certainly connect to the Electric Reliability Council of Texas' (ERCOT) Houston Zone, feeding sufficient power to provide around 40,000 homes.

"Sabanci and Bechtel carefully collaborated to establish the project on a record schedule, as well as we are certain our collaboration will successfully deliver our very first united state renewable energy facility as planned," added Ismail Bilgin, Chief Executive Officer of Sabanci Renewables Inc