- Egypt gets its first large integrated solar PV and battery storage plant — a 1.1 GW solar PV plant with integrated 200 MWh battery will deliver dispatchable clean energy, enhance grid stability, and manage peak demand.
- JUWI and JA Solar sign 420,000-panel deal for 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 panels 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 were installed in China. That’s just incredible.
Signing ceremony for 1.1 GW solar plus 200 MW battery project in Egypt. Image courtesy of EBRD.
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. 1.1 GW is pretty impressive! The project is backed by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), African Development Bank (AfDB), and British International Investment (BII), the United Kingdom’s development finance institution and impact investor, providing a total of US$479.1 million to Obelisk Solar Power SAE, a special-purpose vehicle incorporated in and owned by Scatec ASA. This financing will support the development of a project. The EBRD will provide a loan of up to US$173.5 million, of which US$101.9 million will benefit from a European Fund for Sustainable Development (EFSD+) first-loss cover guarantee for the first 18 years, in addition to a US$6.5 million grant from the EBRD Shareholder Special Fund.
The AfDB’s financing package of US$184.1 million includes US$125.5 million of ordinary resources, as well as concessional funding from AfDB-managed special funds — US$20 million from the Sustainable Energy Fund for Africa and US$18.6 million from the Canada-African Development Bank Climate Fund, a partnership between the AfDB and the government of Canada. A further US$20 million will be channeled from the CIF’s Clean Technology Fund through the AfDB.
BII financing includes a US$100 million concessional loan and a US$15 million returnable grant that helps lower the overall cost of the BESS part of the project, making it more financially viable and affordable while attracting private-sector participation and creating models for future investments. BII’s financing is subject to drawdown conditions. The project’s blended financing of US$479.1 million corresponds to approximately 80 percent of the total estimated capital expenditure of US$590 million.
The integrated power plant will be developed by Scatec in two phases. The first phase, with 561 MW of solar and 100 MW/200 MWh of battery storage, aims to start operations in the first half of 2026. The second phase, with 564 MW of solar, aims to start operations in the second half of 2026. The energy will be sold under a US dollar-denominated 25-year power purchase agreement with the Egyptian Electricity Transmission Company, backed by a sovereign guarantee.
On completion, it will be the first integrated solar photovoltaic and battery storage project of this scale in Egypt, and a significant milestone in the country’s energy transition. Egypt aims to reach 42 percent of renewables in its power mix by 2030. The solar power plant is expected to generate approximately 3,000 GWh per year of additional renewable power, which will enhance grid stability and manage peak demand. It will also reduce carbon dioxide emissions by up to 1.4 million metric tonnes annually. It’s great to see GW-scale solar PV projects taking off on the African continent.
JUWI and JA Solar signing ceremony. Image courtesy of JUWI.
In South Africa, JUWI has just firmed up a 420,000–solar panel deal with JA Solar for its 220 MW Glencore and Sasol/Air Liquide solar projects. The projects include the 100 MW Sonvanger Solar Plant for Glencore, developed in partnership with Pele Green Energy, and the 120 MW Paarde Valley PV2 project for Sasol and Air Liquide, delivered with TotalEnergies, Mulilo, and Reatile Group. Together, the projects will come online in late 2026 and use enough solar panels to cover over 160 rugby fields. The latest milestone forms part of JUWI’s broader construction rollout announced earlier this year, which includes more than ZAR 6 billion ($320 million) in new-build solar PV projects. Once completed, these projects will add roughly 5% to South Africa’s total installed solar PV capacity.
“We’re proud to work with global technology leaders like JA Solar, energy-intensive industries and independent power producers to advance South Africa’s energy transition,” said Richard Doyle, Managing Director of JUWI Renewable Energies.
“With the country targeting nearly 30 gigawatts of new wind and solar by 2030, and 11 GW of coal capacity scheduled for decommissioning in the near future, we need to ramp up renewable energy deployment faster than ever before if we’re going to keep the lights on. These large-scale projects also bring real carbon savings to the country’s hard-to-abate sectors, while reducing electricity costs for energy users and easing pressure on the grid.”
Aiqing Yang, Executive President at JA Solar, added: “We’re proud to partner with JUWI on these flagship projects, which reflect our shared commitment to advancing clean energy in South Africa. By supplying high-efficiency modules built for performance and reliability, we’re helping to power a more sustainable industrial future.”
The two projects will supply 672,000 MWh of clean electricity annually. This is expected to reduce around 625,000 tonnes of CO₂ each year, the equivalent of removing more than 130,000 cars from the road, while also easing pressure on the national grid and reducing electricity costs for large energy users. South Africa’s grid is powered mostly by coal. All these new additions to the energy mix are most welcome.
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