Egypt has broken ground on an EGP 10.5 billion ($210 million) Atum Solar integrated manufacturing complex in Sokhna in the Suez Canal Economic Zone (SCZONE) in Egypt.
The 200 m2 facility will comprise three facilities and is targeting an annual manufacturing capacity of 2 GW of solar cells and 2 GW of solar modules.
The solar cells manufacturing will be 100% for export, while the 2 GW of solar panels and 1 GWh of energy storage systems capacity will target local and regional markets, according to the SCZONE.
The groundbreaking ceremony, held on Monday, was attended by representatives from the project’s consortium partners and members of the Egyptian and Emirati governments.
Corporate partners include Chinese solar giant JA Solar, United Arab Emirates-based Global South Utilities, Bahrain’s Infinity Capital, and Egypt’s AH for Industrial Management and Consulting. Senior executives from the companies – including JA Solar’s CEO Li Shaohui – signed the construction contract for the complex beside the area where the ground was being broken at the site.
Egypt’s Kamel Al-Wazir, Deputy Prime Minister for Industrial Development and Minister of Industry and Transport, and Waleid Gamal El-Dien, Chairman of the General Authority of the Suez Canal Economic Zone (SCZONE), were also at the signing and the ceremony.
The Egyptian politicians emphasized the project’s role in replacing imported products with high-quality, locally-manufactured products and in creating new export opportunities. The project will source Egyptian aluminum and glass, and create jobs in the region.
