Work Set To Begin On Saudi Arabia’s First Solar PV Module Manufacturing Facility

Saudi Arabia has taken the first steps towards establishing a strong foundation for the growth of solar PV power infrastructure.

International planning, architecture, and interior design firm, ci design, has been selected to lead the design and planning of a 110 MW solar PV modules manufacturing facility set to be developed by the Al-Afandi Group. The facility will be built at the Industrial Valley of the King Abdullah Economic City in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Partnering with PV Tech Group, Avid Engineers, and DAR Engineers, ci design will oversee the full scope of the project, leading design efforts for the 24,800 square-meter facility.

The facility will no doubt play a critical role in Saudi Arabia’s solar power expansion plans. As part of its expansive renewable energy targets, Saudi Arabia plans to have 16 GW of solar PV installed capacity by 2040. This corresponds to 640 MW capacity addition every year for 25 years. This target had earlier been set for 2032 but has now been delayed by 8 years.

King Abdullah City for Atomic and Renewable Energy (K.A.CARE), responsible for the development of atomic and renewable in Saudi Arabia, had issued a roadmap to achieve 54 GW installed renewable energy capacity by 2032. Apart from the 16 GW solar PV capacity, it would also include installation of 25 GW worth of concentrated solar power capacity, 9 GW of wind energy capacity, 3 GW of waste-to-energy capacity, and 1 GW of geothermal power capacity.

By 2032 K.A.CARE had planned to generate 145 TWh of electricity from solar power projects every year, which is expected to be almost 23% of the total electricity generated in the country.