“A SECOND factory that manufactures solar panels will open in Bahrain, leading to greater affordability of renewable energy.” GDNOnline 13 Feb, 2020
The cornerstone of what will be the Solartecc Green factory was laid down yesterday by Sustainable Energy Authority (SEA) president Dr Abdulhussain Mirza at the facility’s site in the Hidd Industrial Area.
This will be the second factory that produces solar panels in the country, after Solar One opened in 2017.
It will be built on an area of 4,000 square metres and produce approximately 25 megawatts annually, equivalent to 80,000 solar panels, with the highest international standards in Bahrain.
Dr Mirza told the GDN that construction of the BD2 million factory is expected to be completed before the end of the year.
“This shows that there is a big demand for solar energy projects and this factory will help fulfil that need,” he said.
“It is also in line with our strategy to encourage the adoption of solar energy.
“This will make solar panels more readily available and hopefully more affordable, the technology has evolved over the last five years that there has been a 70 to 80 per cent reduction in the price of solar panels.
“People who used solar panels before and thought it was too expensive can now give it another chance due to the reduced price and support from the SEA and Tamkeen that will make it more accessible.”
The new factory will also provide a number of job opportunities for Bahrainis who specialise in this field.
Dr Mirza added that this would help Bahrain fulfil its international obligations, such as the Paris Accord, to help reduce carbon emissions and attract investors to the country through the renewable energy sector.
The GDN reported in December on plans to diversify sources of energy, as part of a two-pronged strategy to develop fossil and renewable energy.
Dr Mirza said at the time that the authority’s drive to attract regional and international firms to invest in renewable energy projects in Bahrain would benefit the national economy.
He also said it will help fulfil the goals of the national strategy that aims to optimise energy efficiency by 6pc and attain 5pc of total energy production from renewable energy by 2025.
The national blueprint also aspires to develop the rate of contribution of renewable energy to 15pc by 2035, alongside other efforts to boost fossil energies.
The National Renewable Energy Action Plan and the National Energy Efficiency Action Plan aim to save energy worth BD230 million.
