Arctech tapped for Saudi’s first solar tracker: China’s Arctech has been tapped to provide a 1.5GW SkyLine II solar tracking solution for the ASB project in Saudi Arabia, according to a statement. The details on the project for which Arctech has been tapped remain unclear, but the statement notes a long-standing relationship with ASB project owner Acwa Power and China Energy. The two companies are currently developing Al Shuaibah 2, a 2.06 GW solar facility set to be the largest of its kind in the region. The project will be the first solar tracking venture in Saudi Arabia by Arctech, which has implemented projects in Oman and the UAE.

What is solar tracking? Solar tracking systems reorient PV panels to the direction of the sun, keeping panels perpendicular to the power source and effectively minimizing sunlight reflection and increasing solar energy absorption.

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Saudi researchers develop world’s most efficient solar tandem cells: Researchers from Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (Kaust) created tandem solar systems — solar modules made up of silicon and perovskite sub-cells — with a power conversion efficiency rate of 33.2% — up 0.7 percentage points from previous global record holder Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin, the Saudi Press Agency reports. Kaust’s solar division obtained certification for their solar cell from the European Solar Test Installation, which has listed the system on the National Renewable Energy Laboratory’s Best Research-Cell Efficiency Chart.

Japanese investment company Sumitomo Corporation will invest USD 100 mn to build an EV wiring harness production facility in Egypt, according to a statement released by the General Authority for Investment and Freezones (GAFI) last week. The project’s timeline was not disclosed, but GAFI notes a chunk of the products manufactured in Sumitomo’s 150k sq meter facility would be exported to international markets. GAFI awarded Sumitomo’s planned project its golden license — a single approval covering everything from project establishment, including land allocation and building licensing, through to project operation and management. No timeline was given for when the facility is expected to come online.

OTHER STORIES WORTH KNOWING ABOUT THIS MORNING-

• Emirates Central Cooling Systems (Empower) will pay an undisclosed contractor AED 100 mn (USD 27.8 mn) to optimize energy efficiency at its district cooling plant in Dubai’s Jumeirah Beach Residence. (Wam)
• The OPEC Fund and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development have signed a cooperation agreement to earmark USD 2 mn for the identification and joint development of climate resilience and food security projects in the MENA region and beyond. (Statement)
• KSA’s Al Moammar Information Systems was awarded a SAR 188.1 mn project by the Saudi Investment Recycling Company to provide advanced technical solutions and monitoring of possible oil leaks in the Arabian Gulf and Red Sea. (Tadawul filing)
• Egypt’s Environment Ministry will launch tenders for waste recycling plants in the country in a bid to attract more private sector investment. (Statement)
• Egypt’s Public Enterprises Ministry is reportedly in talks with four EV manufacturers in China and India in a bid to partner on producing EVs with state-owned El Nasr Automotive. Egypt had planned to see its first locally assembled EV in 2023, but it is unclear whether it will be able to meet this deadline. (Al Mal)