ELITE Solar has officially commissioned a large-scale solar manufacturing complex in Egypt, positioning the country as a new supply hub for the United States amid tightening global trade restrictions on solar equipment.
The Singapore-headquartered company inaugurated its 3-GW solar panel and 2-GW solar cell manufacturing facility in the Suez Canal Economic Zone earlier this month. The project was formally launched during a visit by Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly, with U.S. partners attending subsequent site tours.
The facility comes as U.S. trade policy continues to reshape global solar supply chains through successive rounds of antidumping tariffs targeting Chinese-linked production across Asia. As scrutiny expands to new manufacturing locations, the Middle East and Africa have emerged as relatively tariff-safe jurisdictions capable of supplying the U.S. market while complying with Foreign Entity of Concern (FEOC) rules.
Construction of the 450,000-square-foot complex began in December 2024 and reached production within 12 months. ELITE Solar has already secured multiple supply agreements with U.S. developers, including a new contract signed at the facility’s opening. The plant will manufacture high-efficiency PERC and n-type panels for utility-scale projects, with outputs reaching up to 725 watts and efficiencies exceeding 23%.
The USD 115 million investment employs more than 850 workers across cell and panel operations, with advanced automation and robotics underpinning production. Industry partners, including rPlus Energies, said the project strengthens long-term clean energy supply while supporting global decarbonisation goals.
ELITE Solar’s Egypt expansion builds on its broader manufacturing footprint in Southeast Asia and underscores Egypt’s growing role as a competitive manufacturing base linking African, Middle Eastern and U.S. clean-energy markets.
