Egypt signs land-use contract for 2 GW solar cell and panel complex
Egypt has signed a land-use contract for a 2 GW solar cell and 2 GW panel complex with 1 GWh of storage, backed by investors from Egypt, China, Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates.
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.
African PV imports from China up 60% in one year, says Ember
Think tank finds evidence of “take-off” for solar in Africa, with import growth is spread across the continent. Ember analysis notes import surge has potential to markedly increase electricity generating capacity in some countries.
Improving PV cleaning schedules without large datasets
Scientists in Algeria have developed a low-cost solution to optimize cleaning operations for all PV systems. The proposed approach works “effectively” without heavy data requirements, according to its creators.
Scientists see 33.56% efficiency potential for kesterite solar cells
A research team in Egypt has proposed a new architecture for kesterite solar cells using a copper oxide hole transport layer and optimized configuration. The simulated device had a maximum efficiency of 33.56%.
How to control frequency fluctuations during PV plant deloading
Researchers in Egypt have developed new control strategies for managing frequency fluctuations during deloading of a photovoltaic plant. The proposed methodology combines a proportional–integral controller along with a rate of change of frequency controller.
Africa’s solar capacity surpasses 20 GW
Africa’s solar capacity has exceeded 20 GW, with more than 10 GW of projects under construction, led by utility-scale solar, which represents 70% of ongoing development, according to the Africa Solar Industry Association (AFSIA).
Acwa Power secures two solar-plus-storage projects in Morocco
Riyadh-based energy company Acwa Power will develop Morocco’s Noor Midelt II and Noor Midelt III solar-plus-storage projects. Together, they have a combined solar capacity of 800 MW alongside 1,200 MWh of battery energy storage.
New technique to geo-label PV modules in utility-scale solar parks
Scientists in Morocco have developed a method that uses the metadata of PV plants’ infrared images to label them geographically. The automatic database can then be used in deep learning models and significantly reduce the time required for data labeling.
UK rejects CfD bid for 10.5 GW Morocco solar-wind subsea cable
The UK government has rejected a contract-for-difference (CfD) application for the proposed Xlinks interconnector, a 3,800 km submarine cable to deliver power from a planned 10.5 GW solar-wind facility in Morocco to the UK grid.
