Oman’s Sohar Port and Freehavee has inked a land lease agreement with China-based JA Solar to establish a USD 565 mn solar production facility, according to a press release. The project — planned in the Freezone’s second phase — is slated to begin operations by 1Q 2026, with an annual production capacity of 6 GW of solar cells and 3 GW of solar modules.

What they said: “Our facility marks a significant advancement in the solar PV supply chain, integrating all key components from polysilicon to modules. The strategic location within SOHAR Freezone offers essential logistics and positions us in a rapidly growing renewable energy hub,” JA Solar General Manager Fan Jingchao said.

More solar for Sohar: The Omani freezone is also getting another major solar production facility, with an under-development USD 1.6 bn polysilicon plant by United Solar Group. The plant — planned to have an annual capacity of 100k tons — is backed by the International Finance Corporation and the Riyadh-based international investment platform Ewpartners.

Not JA Solar’s first in the region: The Chinese manufacturer partnered with UAE’s Global South Utilities last year to establish two factories in Egypt to produce solar cells and panels. This was reported to include a USD 138 solar cell plant and a USD 75 mn solar panel plant—both of which are set to have a production capacity of 2 GW.

Tags: