OCI Holdings breaks ground on Texas solar project amid AI power boom

OCI Holdings' U.S. subsidiary OCI Energy broke ground Tuesday (local time) on the 260-megawatt SunRoper solar project in Wharton County, Texas, as rising electricity demand from artificial intelligence (AI) data centers drives growth in renewable power, the Korean company said Thursday. The project, a 50-50 joint venture with Israeli renewable energy developer Arava Power, spans 1,714 acres and is scheduled to begin commercial operations in 2027. Once completed, it will generate enough electricity to power about 60,000 households. The companies secured project financing based on a long-term power purchase agreement signed in February with a Fortune 100 company. The buyer was not disclosed. OCI Holdings Chairman Lee Woo-hyun attended the groundbreaking ceremony along with OCI Energy President Sabah Bayatli and Arava Power CEO Ilan Zidkony. OCI Energy has developed utility-scale solar projects in Texas since 2012, developing and selling about 2 gigawatts of capacity in the U.S. market. Its business has accelerated over the past two years as AI data center construction has increased demand f