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 announced by OCI Holdings on Sept. 3.
Spanning 1,714 acres, the utility-scale installation is scheduled for commercial operation in 2027, at which point it will supply clean electricity to approximately 60,000 households.
The joint venture secured project financing supported by a long-term Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) executed in February with an undisclosed top-tier Fortune 100 enterprise. Highlighting the project’s strategic weight, OCI Holdings Chairman Woohyun Lee attended the groundbreaking alongside OCI Energy President Sabah Bayatli and Arava Power CEO Ilan Zidkony.
A Decade of Scale Accelerated by AI-Driven Demand
OCI Energy has been an active force in the Texas utility-scale solar market since 2012, successfully developing and divesting roughly 2 gigawatts (GW) of capacity over more than a decade. That momentum has accelerated sharply over the past two years, propelled by surging electricity demand from artificial intelligence data center expansion across the state.
In the past year alone, OCI Energy completed development on 480MW across three flagship assets: SunRoper (260MW), Pepper (120MW), and Lucky 7 (100MW). The latter two assets were subsequently acquired by Turkish energy developer Sabanci Renewables.
Building on this momentum, OCI Energy recently sold a 50% stake in its 500MW La Salle solar project, another joint development with Arava Power. Targeted for groundbreaking later this year and commercial launch in 2028, Project La Salle is currently negotiating a PPA with a member of the “Magnificent Seven” (M7) tech giants, according to industry sources.
In tandem with its solar operations, OCI Energy is advancing its footprint in energy storage. The company is developing the 120MW/480MWh Alamo City storage project in partnership with CPS Energy and LG Energy Solution Vertech. Slated for commercial startup in 2027, Alamo City represents a fundamental evolution in strategy: OCI Energy intends to retain and directly operate the facility rather than divest it.
Transitioning from Developer to Owner-Operator
OCI Energy currently manages a 6.3GW project pipeline across Texas and broader U.S. markets, comprising 3.1GW of solar power and 3.2GW of energy storage systems across 30 projects. Earlier this year, the firm unveiled a strategic roadmap targeting 15GW in development assets and over 2GW in operational assets by 2030, reinforcing its ambitions as an integrated U.S. energy enterprise spanning development, power generation, and infrastructure services.
“U.S. demand for solar energy is expanding rapidly, fueled by the substantial power requirements of AI infrastructure,” said OCI Holdings Chairman Woohyun Lee. “Project SunRoper signifies our transition from a traditional develop-and-sell framework toward direct asset ownership, unlocking reliable, long-term recurring revenue streams.”
By cultivating a portfolio anchored by long-term PPAs, OCI Energy aims to secure predictable, contract-backed cash flows and strengthen profitability, positioning the platform for sustainable, long-term enterprise value creation.