A Saudi Arabian solar company, Desert Technologies, is planning a significant expansion in solar panel and cell production to help meet the country’s ambitious renewable energy goals.
The company announced plans to construct a $200 million factory in Jeddah, capable of producing up to 5 gigawatts of solar capacity annually. This new facility marks a substantial increase from its current 110 megawatt production capacity.
Saudi Arabia is intensifying efforts to boost green energy production, aiming for 130 gigawatts of installed renewable capacity by 2030. To achieve this, the kingdom needs substantial investment and access to solar panels. As of last year, it had less than 2.5 gigawatts of installed solar power.
While Chinese companies currently lead in photovoltaic solar panel production, Saudi Arabia aims to leverage domestic demand to foster its own industrial growth. Desert Technologies plans to cater to local solar infrastructure needs and explore export opportunities.
The new plant will cover 170,000 square meters, including facilities for 2 gigawatts of solar panel manufacturing and 3 gigawatts for solar cells. This capacity represents a quarter of what Saudi Arabia plans to secure with project developers by 2030.
