A new era of renewable energy deployment is underway in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), with solar photovoltaic (PV) and energy storage positioned for monumental growth, according to a recent industry report. The findings underscore significant opportunities for the solar value chain, including mounting system providers like Longsun Green.
The report, Rise of renewables in the Gulf region by DNV, projects that the MENA region will lead globally in renewable capacity expansion in the coming decades. Solar PV remains the dominant technology, with capacity expected to surge from 76 GW in 2024 to 340 GW by 2029. Furthermore, an additional 2.2 TW of combined solar and wind capacity is forecasted to be installed between 2040 and 2060.
A critical driver of this expansion is the parallel, rapid rise of energy storage. DNV forecasts that installed storage capacity in MENA, currently at 36 GWh, will increase tenfold by 2030 and one hundredfold by 2045, reaching 9.5 TWh by 2060. This would elevate the region's share of global storage capacity to 12%, up from 1.4% today.
"Co-located solar and storage projects are becoming the benchmark," the report indicates. Lithium-ion battery energy storage systems (BESS) paired with solar PV are set to dominate, accounting for 70% of installed storage capacity by year-end. While this share may evolve with the introduction of long-duration storage technologies, the synergy between solar generation and storage is fundamental to the region's energy strategy. Recent announcements of gigawatt-scale hybrid projects in countries like Egypt and Saudi Arabia validate this trend.
Jan Zschommler, Market Area Director for Middle East & Africa at DNV's Energy Systems, noted, "The Gulf states are moving from discussion to deployment at a pace that is transforming the power mix. Post-2040, renewable growth is expected to outpace demand growth, accelerating the region's energy transition."
Despite the rapid renewables build-out, DNV's analysis suggests natural gas will remain part of the power mix until at least 2040, as electricity demand-driven initially by construction and desalination, and later by electric vehicles, AI data centers, and green hydrogen production-continues to grow.
Ditlev Engel, CEO of DNV's Energy Systems, emphasized the economic rationale: "Renewables now provide low-cost power, and clean electricity is becoming essential for competitive industry and future hydrogen production."
A significant advantage for the MENA region, as highlighted by DNV, is the current lack of severe grid bottlenecks compared to other markets like Europe, facilitating faster project integration. However, sustained investment in grid expansion is crucial to maintain this advantage as renewable penetration deepens.
Source: Analysis and projections derived from DNV's report "Rise of renewables in the Gulf region"
*Note: The article has been adapted and paraphrased, and is not entirely identical to the original text.
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