OCI Breaks Ground on 260MW Texas Solar Facility Amid U.S. AI Power Surge
OCI Energy, the US subsidiary of South Korean conglomerate OCI Holdings, officially broke ground on its 260-megawatt (MW) SunRoper solar facility in Wharton County, Texas, on Sept. 1 (local time). Developed as a 50/50 joint venture with Israel-based developer Arava Power, the project was formally an
OCI Energy, a subsidiary of South Korean conglomerate OCI Holdings, officially commenced construction on a 260-megawatt solar facility in Texas on September 1. The joint venture with Israeli developer Arava Power is set to become operational in 2027, providing electricity to around 60,000 homes. The project, named SunRoper, spans 1,714 acres and has secured financing through a long-term Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with a major Fortune 100 corporation.
OCI Energy, established in Texas in 2012, has developed and divested approximately 2 gigawatts of solar capacity over the past decade. This pace has increased significantly in recent years due to rising demand for electricity from AI data centers. In the past year alone, OCI Energy brought online 480MW of solar power through the completion of three projects: SunRoper, Pepper, and Lucky 7.
The firm recently sold a 50% stake in its La Salle solar project, another collaboration with Arava Power, which is slated for groundbreaking later this year and commercial launch in 2028. Additionally, OCI Energy is expanding its operations into energy storage, developing a 120MW/480MWh facility in partnership with CPS Energy and LG Energy Solution.
This transition from developer to owner-operator is part of OCI Energy's strategic roadmap, which aims to increase its portfolio to 15GW in development assets and over 2GW in operational assets by 2030.
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