Localized Manufacturing Workgroup

It’s well understood when a country decides to launch a new project, especially on a large scale, to take into considerations how the country could fully benefit out of it. Moreover, when the project is the energy. The concern becomes predominant.

Currently, the environmental awareness and the climate change increases. Leading nations admit we are addicted to oil, but investment into alternatives has become an emergency. The switch to clean and renewable energies turn to be a necessity.

Besides, dependence on external sources of energy has political and economic implications. The use of a region’s natural resources increases the security of energy supply by ensuring a constant (known and friendly) source of energy. As such, governments will control own sources of energy so that their economies are less sensitive to geopolitical conditions, volatility of the global oil markets and the reality of a diminishing supply of fossil fuels.

Based on that, the local content provisions should be taken not only in the manner to boost domestic manufacturing and jobs by requiring that a certain percentage of local goods and services are used in renewable energy projects to be eligible for government support. Rather, as a key for the energy independence by a total and full control of the energy production.

Localized manufacturing can be an important element of a move to a renewable energy system that is not dependent on foreign imports. In fact, it will:

• Ensure the energy security,
• The creation of green jobs that do not exist and will not exist without that new technology.
• Will create wealth, improve the quality of life and develop the social life,
• Allow the appropriation of new technology and its inclusion into the national industrial structure,
• Develop and strengthen the research & development.

The aim of the working group is to assess:

• The impact of using local manufacturing,
• The opportunities and challenges for localizing solar PV manufacturing,
• Competing in the global solar PV manufacturing industry
• The industrial business model and the level of the integration
• Economies of scale in the PV industry
• The role of equipment manufacturers
• The role of the raw materials supply
• Industry sophistication and innovation potential
• Analyzing legitimacy and effectiveness of local manufacturing
• Potential benefits of local solar PV manufacturing
• The impact of the local market, its size, and stability.

Workgroup Leader: Dr. Nabih Cheraddi