Intl consortium breaks ground on 4 GW solar complex in Egypt

A consortium of investors led by China's JA Solar has laid the foundation stone of two factories that will have the capacity to manufacture 2 GW of solar cells and 2 GW of panels in the Suez Canal Economic Zone (TEDA Industrial Zone) in Egypt.

The project, called Atum Solar, is backed by UAE-based Global South Utilities (GSU), Bahrain’s Infinity Capital and Egypt’s AH Industrial Management, along with JA Solar. It involves USD 210 million (EUR 178.67m) of investments and will create about 840 direct jobs.

The solar module factory is expected to supply the domestic market and markets in the Middle East and Africa, while the entire production of the solar cell factory will be exported to the American market.

This project is not limited to expanding production capacity; it is a strategic step towards localising the solar energy industry and represents one of the applied models for translating the pillars of the urgent plan to advance industry into actual production projects, Deputy Prime Minister for Industrial Development and Minister of Industry and Transport Kamel Wazir said during the groundbreaking ceremony.

The solar complex is one of several solar manufacturing facilities that have been announced in Egypt. Two more factories backed by China's Elite Solar and Sunrev Solar are currently under construction. All of them are located in the SCZone.