Northern Africa

Singapore-headquartered EliTe Solar says the first phase of work at the planned 8 GW solar manufacturing facility in northeastern Egypt will establish a 2 GW solar cell production line, scheduled for completion in September 2025. 

Scientists in Morocco have evaluated how hybrid wind solar plants may be combined with pumped hydro storage to power remote rural areas. The proposed system was found to have an LCOE $0.03831/kWh and a 86% use factor.

The US Department of Energy has announced $62 million for 20 projects to accelerate hydrogen technology, while international researchers have revealed how hydrogen injection into existing natural gas infrastructure could affect 115 million gas meters in the European Union.

The Tunisian authorities have provided $121 million for solar thermal and PV systems. The subsidies can cover up to 30% of initial investments in residential PV installations.

New research from Morocco has found that the Sandia PV Array Performance Model is the most suitable for measuring AC power in PV systems located in arid-climate conditions. The scientists conducted a series of tests a three different PV systems located at a testing facility in Ben Guerir, in central Morocco.

Researchers in Morocco have carefully configured and tested a novel desert solar module optimized for harsh desert climates.  The new design delivered a 5.8% improvement in performance ratio, a 1.95% increase in efficiency, and reduced temperature sensitivity by 0.85% compared to standard modules.

Researchers in Morocco have examined the effects of an anti-reflective coating on solar panel performance under desert conditions and have found that it enhanced both the annual performance ratio and the energy yield by 2% and 5.5%, respectively. They have also found it to be durable and able to withstand dry cleaning methods under accelerated testing.

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has approved a €12.5 million ($13.7 million) loan to finance the construction of two 60 MW solar power plants in Tozeur and Sidi Bouzid, Tunisia. The projects, developed by Scatec and Aeolus, will enhance energy security and support Tunisia’s green transition.

BloombergNEF says clean ammonia supplies could expand by 30 times to 32 million tons by 2030, while MAX Power Mining has roughly tripled the size of its Rider Natural Hydrogen Project in western Canada.

Scientists in Morocco have conceived a photovoltaic-thermal panel that uses a channel-box heat exchanger consisting of 94 channels attached directly to the PV module. The simulated design reportedly results in an overall panel efficiency of over 90% and good results in terms of temperature inhomogeneity.