
Almaden plans to invest over $240 million in a new solar glass manufacturing factory in the UAE
To be located at KIZAD, it will have up to 1,600 tons daily melting capacity
It will serve the markets in the Middle East, Europe and South Asia, boosting the group’s global presence
China’s anti-reflective solar glass producer Changzhou Almaden has announced plans to establish a 500,000-ton solar glass manufacturing facility in the UAE with a $240.23 million investment.
The proposed factory will be located at Khalifa Industrial Zone Abu Dhabi (KIZAD). It will have a daily melting capacity of 1,600 tons and will be supported by deep-processing production lines.
Almaden says it will execute the project through Almaden Glass Industries, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Almaden (MENA), which has already been approved by the local authorities, according to a company notice. The tentative commissioning timeline of the factory is 18 months.
The Chinese manufacturer says its UAE factory will serve the Middle East, Europe and South Asia markets, and it aligns with the group’s global development strategy.
“As competition intensifies in the domestic PV glass market and product prices continue to decline, expanding into overseas markets has become an inevitable trend for PV glass manufacturers. The vast demand in overseas markets and strong support from various governments for renewable energy provide tremendous growth opportunities for PV glass enterprises,” stated Almaden.
Back in 2014, Almaden had reportedly entered into an agreement with the Dubai Silicon Oasis Authority (DSOA) to host a $20 million manufacturing and training facility at the Dubai Silicon Oasis integrated free zone technology park with 100 MW annual capacity.
Producing specialized solar glass for the solar industry since 2006, Almaden is promoting the use of sustainable and environmentally friendly practices in the industry, along with 8 other solar glass manufacturers (see China Solar PV News Snippets: Canadian Solar To Build 5 GW Silicon Ingot Fab & More).