Themar Al Emarat Selects Al-Bahar and Caterpillar for 5.94 MW Hybrid Energy Solution at Climate-Controlled Greenhouse Operation in UAE

For Worldwide Release: August 2019
Release Number: EEPR1019

Deerfield, IL – Caterpillar Inc. today announced that Themar Al Emarat LLC has selected Cat® dealer Al-Bahar to supply a 5.94 MW hybrid energy solution that provides power for its new agricultural facility located in the Al Kaheef area of the Emirate of Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.    

The solution from Al-Bahar and Caterpillar includes nearly 23,000 Cat PVT117 photovoltaic modules that generate up to 2.7 MW of solar-powered energy and five Cat 3412 diesel generator sets that supply 3.24 MW of power. The system is supported by a 286 kWh/250 kW grid stability module supplied by a Cat Energy Storage System and Cat BDP bidirectional inverters. A Cat Microgrid Master Controller will autonomously manage the entire system and use Cat Connect Remote Asset Monitoring for the real-time collection and off-site monitoring of system performance data.

Scheduled to begin operations in late 2019, the solar farm at Themar Al Emarat will be the largest single-site microgrid located in the UAE. A leading agricultural producer in the Middle East, Themar Al Emarat will use the system to provide power for cooling equipment, water chilling, mushroom cultivation and other greenhouse processes. The facility will produce mushrooms, lettuce, and other crops used and consumed locally.

“Energy consumption accounts for the majority of long-term operating costs for technologically advanced agricultural farms that use climate control systems to support production during the summer in the UAE,” said Dr. Ghanem Al Hajri, chief executive officer of Themar Al Emarat. “By leveraging Al-Bahar’s and Caterpillar’s global expertise in power generation technologies, we have been able to specify and design a customized power solution that helps to make our operations economically viable.”

Advanced hybrid energy solutions from Caterpillar

The Cat Master Microgrid Controller and Cat Energy Storage System are part of Caterpillar’s hybrid energy solutions technology suite, which is designed to reduce fuel expenses, lower utility bills, decrease emissions, and reduce the total cost of ownership while increasing energy resiliency in even the most challenging environments. Key offerings include:

  • The Cat Master Microgrid Controller (MMC), which keeps loads continuously energized with high-quality power at the lowest cost by managing the flow of power from every source in the system;
  • Cat Connect Remote Asset Monitoring, which provides data visualization, reporting and alerts from anywhere in the world through an easy-to-use web interface;
  • Cat Bi-Directional Power (BDP) inverters, which supply real and reactive power with grid-forming and grid-following capabilities; and
  • The Cat Energy Storage System, which uses advanced lithium-ion batteries with superior energy density, high discharge/recharge efficiency and high cycle life to compensate for fluctuations in output from renewable energy sources.

“Caterpillar and the Cat dealer network serve a wide range of industries, which is why it’s critical for us to approach every customer application without a predetermined preference for any specific power generation technology,” said Joel Feucht, general manager for Caterpillar’s Large Electric Power business. “We have a powerful mix of conventional and renewable power generation products backed by global expertise and local support, and this unique combination enables us to design power solutions with optimized performance, sustainability, durability, and owning and operating costs.”

Caterpillar delivers innovative power systems engineered for exceptional durability, reliability and value. The company offers worldwide product support, with parts and service available globally through the Cat authorized service and dealer network. In addition, dealer service technicians are trained to service every aspect of Cat equipment.

For more information, visit www.cat.com/microgrid or e-mail Electric_Power@cat.com

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Download here or contact Erin Collins at ecollins@gelia.com

Solar facility Solar facility
Solar facility at Themar Al Emarat agricultural facility

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About Themar Al Emarat 

Dr. Ghanem Al Hajri, an ardent environmentalist and successful entrepreneur, originally mooted the idea of establishing the hitherto unknown concept of hydroponic greenhouse farming in the UAE. He had visited and gathered information from various countries that have excelled in advanced farming methods. His vision as an entrepreneur coupled with a commitment to natural resources as well as the novelty of creating a ceaseless supply of fresh and organic vegetables for the local population were well supported by other shareholders, thus paving way for the establishment of Themar Al Emarat and its operations.

About Mohamed Abdulrahman Al-Bahar

For more than 75 years, Mohamed Abdulrahman Al-Bahar, has proven to be one of the most favored and trusted companies in the machinery and power system industries in the Middle East. With a holistic range of solutions for power system needs including generator sets, renewable energy systems, energy storage systems, switchgear, load banks and all other related accessories, Al-Bahar provides total turnkey power systems solutions for the Marine, Oil and Gas, Industrial, Commercial and Electric Power Generation industries. Headquartered in Sharjah, UAE, Al-Bahar has the strength of 2,800 employees, spread across all its functional branches. For more information, visit www.albahar.com

About Caterpillar

For more than 90 years, Caterpillar Inc. has been making sustainable progress possible and driving positive change on every continent. Customers turn to Caterpillar to help them develop infrastructure, energy and natural resource assets. With 2018 sales and revenues of $54.722 billion, Caterpillar is the world’s leading manufacturer of construction and mining equipment, diesel and natural gas engines, industrial gas turbines and diesel-electric locomotives. The company principally operates through its three primary segments - Construction Industries, Resource Industries and Energy & Transportation - and also provides financing and related services through its Financial Products segment. For more information, visit caterpillar.com. To connect with us on social media, visit caterpillar.com/social-media.

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©2019 Caterpillar
All Rights Reserved

 

Press Inquiries

Erin Collins 
Gelia
Tel: +1 716-629-3176
ecollins@gelia.com

Casie Summers
Caterpillar Inc.
Tel: +1 713-895-4568
summers_casie@cat.com

 

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