Algeria Plans to Build Their First Solar Panels in 2012
According to Bernama news agency, Sonelgaz, the Algerian state gas and electricity company, has announced recently that starting in 2012, it will start the production of solar panels, with a total capacity of 50 MW. The total value of the project is US $100 million.
This announcement was done by the CEO of Sonelgaz, Bouterfa Noureddine, together with Chakib Khelil, the Minister of Energy and Mining of Algeria, during the statute signing ceremony for a company called Rouiba Eclairage, which will be the manager for the project. The shares of this company will be transferred to Sonelgaz, as the new statutes specify. Previously, these shares were owned by the company Cableq.
The future factory that will be producing solar panels is backed financially 100% by Sonelgaz and it will be built in the Rouiba area. The total space occupied by this factory will be 4 hectares. Construction on this factory will begin in December 2009, according to Chakib Khelil.
The supply networks and the studies for the infrastructure engineering for the new factory will be done by the department of engineering of Sonelgaz. This department will also work on integrating the manufacturing process with the best technology for the task.
According to the minister, this project is part of the Algerian strategy on renewable energies and the energy sector.
Another part of this strategy is a renewable energies research institute, which will be open in an area south of Algiers, in the province of Ghardaia. This part of the plan will help the program, by creating new human resources, which are specialized on renewable energy.
According to the CEO of Sonelgaz, Algeria will benefit from this project, as it will create an industry that is competitive and strong in the solar panel market.
These solar panels, which will be produced by Sonelgaz, will be used in rural areas, which are remote, to bring electricity to them. They will especially be used in the South areas, making power plants hybrid, so the needs of the customers (railways, telecommunications) are met. The end result for Algeria will be a boost in the renewable energy use. By 2015, Algeria will get 5% of all its energy from renewable sources.
