PV Hardware (PVH) a new factory in Jeddah (Saudi Arabia). To celebrate the opening, PVH Middle East organised an inauguration event at the facility which was attended by Fuad Mosa, Deputy Minister of Energy, Mohammad Abunayyan, Chairman of ACWA Power and the Spanish Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Jorge Hevia. The event was also attended by prominent customers and strategic suppliers with whom PVH has collaborated in the Middle East and Asia.

The meeting was an opportunity for the attendees to learn about the factory and PV Hardware’s latest developments in solar trackers, as well as the benefits and supply advantages that PVH Middle East offers to its customers. PVH has had a production facility in Jeddah since 2020. This new factory replaces the previous facilities and has completely renovated machinery and state-of-the-art equipment. The factory will generate around 150 direct jobs and significantly increases the production capacity and storage of components.

Ivan Higueras, Chairman of PVH, thanked Fuad Mosa, Mohammad Abunayyan and Jorge Hevia for their presence and support. “With this new factory in Saudi Arabia, PVH Middle East will double its capacity, exporting its trackers internationally, and becoming the world leader. This is our dream. We will continue to work hard, with a common goal, looking forward to the next objective of expanding this facility with phases 2 and 3.”

Saudi Arabia’s boost into renewables

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is currently building a strong industrial network in the renewable energy sector. This new facility is expected to produce 8GW per year in solar trackers and structures. The supply will be dedicated not only to solar plants in the Middle East, but also to large utility scale PV projects in Europe, Asia, America and Australia.

As a locally manufactured tracker supplier with a permanent presence in Saudi Arabia, PVH Middle East has demonstrated its level of commitment to the region. “We appreciate the enormous effort made by PVH in opening this factory, as a sign of the development of renewable energy in Saudi Arabia. We have solid experience as a global energy leader, and we are now leading the global transition to green and sustainable energy. Anyone who wants to play a role in renewable energy has to be in Saudi Arabia, and we very much appreciate the commitment of leading companies in the sector, such as PV Hardware, as a key strategic move in the market,” said Mr. Mohammad Abunayyan, Chairman of ACWA Power. He added that “having PVH Middle East operating from Jeddah secures our future cooperation and is a sign of the region’s potential in solar energy”.

In-house manufacturing and adaptability as PVH’s added value

The Spanish brand has been leading the solar tracker market in the Middle East since 2018, and last year achieved a 35% market share in the area according to Wood Mackenzie figures. By 2023, PVH forecasts a supply of around 7GW in the Middle East, a figure the company expects to exceed with the capacity of this new production centre. Employing around 150 people, the Jeddah factory will supply material to solar plants in the Middle East, Europe, Asia and Australia. The Saudi Arabian plant is the second factory of PV Hardware, which opened its first plant in Valencia (Spain) in 2006.

PVH Middle East has been producing in Saudi Arabia since 2021 with more than 60% local content in its products. “This new factory upgrades the previous facility with new state-of-the-art machinery and is set to significantly increase production to 8 GW/year to reach 90% local content,” says Youssef Elsayed, Managing Director of PVH Middle East.

Having its own manufacturing facility in the Middle East allows the brand to offer its customers significant advantages in terms of customised product design, as well as minimising the volatility of supply routes and material prices. “This new factory will allow us to boost our business in the Middle East and consolidate our position as a leading supplier of solar trackers and structures in the region,” says Álvaro Casado, PVH’s Global Commercial Director.

Global growth forecast with a third factory

By 2023 PVH Middle East expects to supply around 7GW in the Middle East. According to Emilio Garcia, CEO of PVH, this forecast could be exceeded with the capacity of this new production centre.

In-house manufacturing and adaptability to customer needs are the basis of PVH’s consolidation and growth strategy. In this sense, the company has recently announced the project to open a third factory in Texas and thus become the only manufacturer of solar structures and trackers with its own full manufacturing process in the United States.

“Our experience is that wherever we open a factory, we lead the market, and although the forecasts for next year are good worldwide, we continue to work to consolidate our position as one of the most important solar tracker manufacturers in the world,” said Emilio García.