Algeria set to open solar panel factory

subscribe

Oil and gas producer Algeria is to build a plant to manufacture solar panels as part of a plan to draw 5 percent of its electricity from renewable energy by 2015, state media reported.

Most of Algeria lies in the Sahara desert, a region that has attracted interest from major European companies that want to tap into its huge solar power potential and its proximity to energy-hungry markets in Europe.

Algeria's state-owned utility Sonelgaz will invest $100 million in the plant and will launch a bidding round for contractors by the end of this year, Algeria's official APS news agency quoted Sonelgaz CEO Noureddine Bouterfa as saying.

The agency said the factory, which is scheduled to open in 2012, will each year produce photovoltaic cells with a generating capacity of 50 megawatts, equivalent to about one tenth the capacity of a small nuclear power plant.

A consortium of 12 companies including Siemens, E.ON and Deutsche Bank is planning a 400 billion euro (US$597.3 billion) project, known as Desertec, to generate solar power in North Africa and export it to Europe.

Algerian Energy and Mines Minister Chakib Khelil has expressed reservations about the project, saying earlier this year: "We don't want foreign companies exploiting solar energy from our land."

Neighboring Morocco this month announced a $9 billion solar power project of its own which is slated to produce 2,000 megawatts of electricity by 2020. Officials though have released few details of how the project will be funded.

Related News

hungarys-quiet-alliance-with-russia-in-europes-energy-landscape

Hungary's Quiet Alliance with Russia in Europe's Energy Landscape

MOSCOW - Hungary's energy policies have positioned it as a notable outlier within the European Union, particularly in the context of the ongoing geopolitical tensions stemming from Russia's invasion of Ukraine. While the EU has been actively working to reduce its dependence on Russian energy sources, Hungary has maintained and even strengthened its energy ties with Moscow, raising concerns about EU unity and the effectiveness of sanctions.

Strategic Energy Dependence

Hungary's energy infrastructure is heavily reliant on Russian supplies. Approximately 85% of Hungary's natural gas and more than 60% of its oil imports originate from Russia. This dependence is facilitated…

READ MORE
fusion power

Why Nuclear Fusion Is Still The Holy Grail Of Clean Energy

READ MORE

us power grid

Russian hackers accessed US electric utilities' control rooms

READ MORE

oil graph

New England Is Burning the Most Oil for Electricity Since 2018

READ MORE

advanced nuclear reactor

Advanced Reactors Will Stand On The Shoulders Of Giants

READ MORE