Big Solar & Battery News From Egypt & South Africa

Egypt gets its first large integrated solar PV and battery storage plant—a 1.1 GW solar PV plant with an integrated 200 MWh battery will deliver dispatchable clean energy, enhance grid stability, and manage peak demand.

JUWI and JA Solar sign a 420,000-panel deal for the 220 MW Glencore and Sasol/Air Liquide solar projects in South Africa.

We are living in beautiful times. The solar industry is on a roll. There has never been a better time to go solar given the fact that solar panel and battery prices are at an all-time low. This makes it easier for homes, companies in the C&I sectors, utility-scale companies, and governments to go big on solar. Most of the solar activity is being driven by record production capacity and installation in China. Ember reports that in 2024, China installed more new solar capacity than the rest of the world combined, more than tripling its rate of installations in just two years, from around 103 GW (DC) in 2022 to 333 GW in 2024. China is not stopping; it keeps getting better! For example, in May 2025, 93 GW of solar was installed in China. That’s just incredible.

We are starting to see more large solar installations in Africa as well. An exciting one that has just reached financial close is a 1.1 GW solar photovoltaic (PV) power plant integrated with a 200 MWh battery energy storage system (BESS) in Egypt’s Nagaa Hammadi region.