Martifer Solar has signed an engineering, procurement and construction agreement with a BNP Paribas Clean Energy Partners-managed firm to build a 22MWp photovoltaic solar plant in Portugal.

Under a turnkey contract, Martifer Solar will also supply and install all the required equipment for the plant, scheduled to be complete by the first half of 2012.

The photovoltaic plant will produce 37.4GWh of electricity annually to meet the power needs of 10,000 homes and will also avoid 15.200t of carbon dioxide emissions.

Martifer Solar CEO Henrique Rodrigues said that the project is the first of a total of 33MW planned to be built by Martifer Solar in southern Portugal.