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The world’s largest CIS solar module manufacturer, Solar Frontier, Saudi Armco, and the Saudi Arabian National Industrial Cluster Development Program (NICDP) jointly signed a Memorandum of Understanding to conduct a joint feasibility study into the possibility of CIS solar panel production in the Kingdom.
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is currently promoting its economic reform initiative known as Vision 2030 and as part of that, the Kingdom intends to conduct this joint feasibility study to research the technological and economic aspects of CIS thin-film solar panel production in the Kingdom. Future development will be depended on results of the joint study.
As Japan’s largest CIS solar panel supplier, Solar Frontier started to explore new and international business opportunities because the Japanese solar market has been shrinking. Saudi Arabia has extremely high level of solar irradiation and ambitious renewable energy policies, convincing Solar Frontier of launching collaboration with the Kingdom.
The Kingdom aims to develop 9.5GW of new renewable energy capacity by 2030, according to PV Magazine.
Thin-film solar technology is generally better-suited to hot, dry, dusty environment because it performs better than conventional silicon-based PV panels. Such feature makes it a niche for Solar Frontier to enter into the Saudi Arabian market.
(Photo: Solar Frontier's Tohoku plant. Source: Solar Frontier)
