Sinovoltaics maps emerging PV manufacturing hub in Middle East, Africa

In its inaugural study of the emerging manufacturing hub in the Middle East and Africa, the quality assurance and technical compliance company has mapped 3.4 GW of module, 2.5 GW of solar cell, and 8.05 GW of ingot nameplate capacity across 27 sites.

Hong Kong-based technical compliance and quality assurance company Sinovoltaics has released its first Solar Supply Chain Map for the Middle East and Africa. It tracks nameplate capacity of 3.4 GW for modules, 2.5 GW for solar cells, and 8.05 GW of ingots.

“Ambitious growth targets have been announced for 2030,” said the analysts.

Over the next five years, the Middle East and Africa could see up to 62.12 GW of module manufacturing, 52.55 GW of solar cell capacity, 45 GW of polysilicon, and 290 tons of metallurgical-grade silicon.

The report lists 27 factory sites and includes information about location, size, owner, and planned capacity. It is based primarily on public announcements.

The analysts highlighted the accelerating effort to build full vertical integration in solar PV manufacturing early on, from polysilicon production to module assembly.

“This manufacturing expansion is designed to close supply gaps in regional markets and North America, where limited upstream solar component production and low tariffs create strong demand,” said Dricus de Rooij, CEO and co-founder of Sinovoltaics in a statement, adding that some of the challenges, such as “grid infrastructure limitations and logistical bottlenecks” are still to be overcome on the way to growth.

The analysts noted that the manufacturing developments were spurred by government support and local content requirements, adding that there is potential to reduce dependence on foreign suppliers.

They also see potential for export, stating that the “regions are strategically positioned to serve European markets and could also export to North America,” depending on U.S. trade policies. “Although much of the announced capacity is backed by Chinese companies, the Middle East and Africa are steadily establishing themselves as alternative suppliers to Southeast Asia, which has long dominated solar exports,” they said.

The report is available as a free download. The solar supply chain series includes manufacturing hubs in Europe, India, Southeast Asia, and North America. There is also an annual transformer manufacturing report about capacity in Mainland China.

Founded in 2009, Sinovoltaics is a technical compliance and quality assurance service firm covering the battery energy storage (BESS) and solar photovoltaic industries. It has factory inspection and audit teams in key manufacturing bases, and offices in Europe, U.S. Vietnam, and China.