Solar giant JinkoSolar's expansion plan in Africa!
Source: Photovoltaic News
As the world's largest solar panel manufacturer by shipments, JinkoSolar is advancing its African business footprint, focusing on the solar and energy storage markets.
JinkoSolar Vice President Qian Jing said that in the three years from 2021 to 2023, JinkoSolar has supplied 5.2GW of solar panels and 100MWh of energy storage systems to 45 African countries, accounting for 15% of the African continent's market share.
Qian Jing said that JinkoSolar has been increasing its local business by establishing subsidiaries in key markets such as Egypt, Kenya, Namibia, Morocco, Nigeria and South Africa, which have ambitious and decisive energy transformation goals and relatively stable political and financial environments. Abundant land resources and severe shortage of electricity demand make the African continent have great potential for solar energy. "
Analysts point out that Africa offers unique opportunities for solar developers, but also faces severe challenges such as weak grid infrastructure, limited transportation networks, small project scale and lack of skilled labor. However, the emergence of low-cost solar panels has provided good conditions for the development of this market.
"In sunny North Africa, solar panels generate three times more electricity than Europe," said Nickolas Lua, solar supply chain analyst at global consulting firm Rystad Energy. North Africa accounts for one-fifth of the continent's solar power generation and is home to some of the world's largest solar facilities, such as Benban Solar in Egypt. "
Lua also highlighted that South Africa is a promising market with a potential market size of 86GW for rooftop solar alone. Businesses and households in South Africa are increasingly turning to solar energy to mitigate the impact of frequent power outages caused by grid failures.
Luo Zuoxian, an analyst at Sinopec Economic and Development Research Institute, said that the increasing presence of Chinese solar companies in Africa provides an important opportunity to expand China's renewable energy footprint while demonstrating its technological capabilities on the global stage. The successful implementation of these projects will not only promote the development of China's renewable energy industry, but also strengthen China's economic ties with African countries and promote long-term strategic partnerships.
JinkoSolar has taken steps to address the infrastructure challenges of the African continent by exporting its products and technical expertise. In addition to providing high-efficiency TOPCon solar panels tailored for tropical climates, the company also provides on-site and off-site training for local engineers to improve the operation and maintenance skills of solar and energy storage systems.
A key project of JinkoSolar in Africa is to provide a solar power plant for Oshvela Green Energy Storage in Namibia. The Iron plant's first solar hydrogen project supplies 25MW of N-type TOPCon panels. The plant will be Africa's first commercial green iron production base, marking a milestone in the continent's industrial green revolution. JinkoSolar has also signed a memorandum of understanding to secure orders for subsequent project phases that could add 1.8GW of capacity.
By combining solar with hydrogen, JinkoSolar is helping Africa pioneer innovative clean energy solutions and improve the region's global competitiveness.
Looking ahead, Qian Jing said the company plans to further expand its presence in Africa over the next 5-10 years, deepen its involvement in the local market, and explore new applications such as solar desalination.
"Our long-term vision is to lead Africa's energy transformation by driving investment, innovation, and technology transfer," she said. "We are committed to playing a key role in Africa's path to renewable energy and sustainable development by leveraging the network we have established."