Jinko Solar’s State-of-the-Art Solar Factory Collaboration in Saudi Arabia

Jinko Solar, the world-renowned supplier and manufacturer of solar panels and energy storage systems, recently announced a joint venture with Renewable Energy Localization Company — a wholly owned subsidiary of the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund — and the Saudi green energy investment company Vision Industries Company.

This venture will invest around $1 billion to construct a 10-gigawatt solar factory producing high-efficiency TOPCon cells and modules. Commissioned for 2026, this factory will be located in Saudi Arabia’s developmental city of Oxagon and run entirely on locally sourced renewable energy.

"We are excited to partner with Jinko Solar on this groundbreaking joint venture. By leveraging Jinko Solar's advanced N-type technology and our local expertise, we are confident that this facility will drive innovation and set new benchmarks in the solar industry,” commented Mohammed AlBalaihed, head of MENA Energy and Utilities Sector of PIF and chairman of RELC, in a press release.

With Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 set to move the country away from its dependence on fossil fuels, this factory will help satisfy the demands of a burgeoning solar market. Its construction will also help Jinko Solar meet its ever-growing global demand as the first module manufacturer to deploy over 210 gigawatts of modules worldwide. The factory will mark Jinko Solar’s fourth active overseas production facility after its locations in Malaysia, Vietnam, and Florida.

"The Saudi Arabian market enjoys better credit, sufficient financing resources, stable conditions, policy support ... and has become one of the fastest-growing regions for new energy development in the Middle East," said Jinko Solar’s Vice President Dany Qian. "Its robust industrial foundation makes it an excellent choice for Chinese photovoltaic companies looking to expand overseas."

Smart and Efficient

The new facility is set to be designed in accordance with Jinko Solar’s smart factories and set a higher standard for industry innovation, digitalization, efficiency, and sustainability. It will be characterized by its use of robots, driverless vehicles, and a robust artificial intelligence monitoring system that gathers data from each machine and sensor to determine critical operational aspects like maintenance needs and logistics.

Given the company’s long spirit of innovation, Qian explained that the factory will feature digital tools and software so that all aspects of production can be seamlessly viewed and augmented from Jinko Solar’s home base in Shanghai.

“Digitalization isn’t just a marketing slogan or a supporting function now,” Jinko Solar Chairman David Lee told PV Magazine. “It is becoming a driving force and we’ll show you it works.”

Once commissioned, the factory is expected to produce the world’s first 27% efficiency cells, illuminating Jinko Solar’s commitment to raising industry standards as the enterprise that has famously broken its own efficiency records 26 times.

Massive Opportunity for MENA

Known for its staggering annual solar irradiance of over 2,000 kilowatt-hours per square meter, the Middle East has some of the highest potentials for solar generation in the world, making projects like this incredibly advantageous.

As Saudi Arabia aims for 130 gigawatts of renewable capacity by 2030, this factory underscores the country’s prospects of becoming a renewable powerhouse and highlights the importance of producing panels fit for the region's desert climate where average summer temperatures exceed 100 degrees Fahrenheit. With Jinko Solar’s panels designed to withstand the harshest temperatures and weather conditions, the firm has already established a 70% market share in Saudi Arabia.

The company’s head of technical services and product management for the Middle East and North Africa region, Mohamed Saady Dweik, explained in an interview with PV Magazine, “The MENA region has huge potential when it comes to solar energy. It’s exposed to high solar but at the same time, it is exposed to harsh weather conditions. It has high temperatures and humidity, especially during the summer months. For these reasons, we believe the N-type TOPCon modules will show extraordinary performance in these harsh weather conditions.”

According to Qian, 3,000 people will work at the new plant, which, given its location in the unique up-and-coming city of Oxagon, is expected to attract talented professionals from around the world.

As a testament to the bustling opportunity of the area, Jinko Solar has also supplied 1 gigawatt of solar modules to power a renewable-run green hydrogen megaplant that’s also under construction in the city. Once commissioned in 2026, this plant is expected to be the world’s largest green hydrogen project, producing 600 metric tons of carbon-free hydrogen per day that will then be converted into 1.2 million metric tons of ammonia, a clean energy source, annually.

This ammonia is a zero-carbon fuel that will be used to power global transportation and industry, offsetting the impacts of 5 million metric tons of CO2 each year.

“In line with Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030, Jinko Solar's contribution in this project goes beyond supplying modules — it's about leading technological innovation and environmental sustainability,” Jinko Solar wrote on its Facebook page. “Our 1GWp Tiger Neo 'N-Type TOPCon modules represent cutting-edge technology, strengthening our role in partnerships to create a cleaner and brighter future for all.”

Jinko Solar’s Global Promise

With a company mission of optimizing the global energy portfolio and enabling a sustainable future, Jinko Solar continues to maintain this commitment with projects like these that promote and expand global access to solar energy.

As the business aims to become the world's leading energy storage enterprise within the next three to five years, it’s confident that its market share will increase to 20% this year, and this factory will bring it one step closer to its mission.

“This partnership is another major milestone in the execution of our globalization strategy and will further help us optimize our global manufacturing and marketing infrastructure, as well as enhance our global competitiveness … Together with our new partners, we will work towards shaping a cleaner and brighter future,” stated Xiande Li, Jinko Solar’s chairman and CEO, in a press release.

With Saudi Arabia well on the path toward its ambitious Vision 2030, more projects involving solar giants like Jinko Solar are likely to be on the horizon.