Solar energy being developed in Algeria

2 December 2009

The Algerian electricity company Sonelgaz has decided to invest in renewable sources of energy.

The company has announced the establishment of a plant for the manufacture of photovoltaic modules, which produce electricity thanks to solar energy.

The plant will go into operation two years from now, within the perimeter of the Rouiba industrial zone, the main clients being Rouiba Eclairage. It will have a production capacity of close on 50 MW per year.

Sonelgaz are thereby hoping to “develop a long-term and high performance industrial sector .... and to establish itself as a national leader in this type of equipment”, according to a company press release published in the daily La Tribune.

This desire to develop energy is shared by the Algerian government. Chakib Khelil, Minister of Energy, declared on national radio at the beginning of the year that: “I am predicting that by 2025 15 percent of electricity will be produced from solar energy.”.<br/>