Africa to quadruple solar panel production this year
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Solar panel manufacturers in Africa will increase production to 3.5 gigawatts this year, with new plants opening in Egypt and Tanzania leading the growth.
Ember, a thinktank, and Africa Tech Futures Lab found that output will quadruple thanks to 2 gigawatts of new capacity in Egypt and approximately 500 megawatts in Tanzania. Six additional countries, Morocco, South Africa, Algeria, Tunisia, Nigeria, and Kenya, are expected to contribute around 1 gigawatt more to the total.
However, assessing the exact manufacturing capacity in Africa is difficult due to limited public information. Dave Jones of Ember suggests that some African manufacturers are deliberately keeping a low profile to avoid scrutiny from United States authorities, who are attempting to limit solar imports. While many smaller plants are expanding, companies often provide little detail about their production capabilities. The new production is largely intended for export to the US, where tariffs on Chinese panels create higher prices.
Though other African nations aim to support domestic solar growth, the continent currently imports 94% of its panels from China. Ember’s data shows China exported 19 gigawatts of PV cells and 9 gigawatts of wafers to Africa in the last 2.5 years, while Africa itself only manufactured 2.7 gigawatts of panels. Upcoming changes to US tariffs could shift this dynamic, potentially leading to more domestic use of solar panels within Africa and increased self-sufficiency.
