Siemens, Desert Technologies eye 1GW PV portfolio in MENA and Asia via new JV

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Reddit
Email
Capton Energy aims to build 1GW of solar projects in the Middle East, Africa and Asia. Image: Scaled

Siemens and sustainability investor Desert Technologies have created a new joint venture to invest and develop in solar and smart infrastructure in the Middle East, Africa and Asia, with investments earmarked for a portfolio of projects exceeding 1GW.

The new venture, dubbed Capton Energy and announced at the Expo 2020 Dubai, intends to invest in existing and greenfield solar projects ranging between 20-100MW in size.

This article requires Premium SubscriptionBasic (FREE) Subscription

Try Premium for just $1

  • Full premium access for the first month at only $1
  • Converts to an annual rate after 30 days unless cancelled
  • Cancel anytime during the trial period

Premium Benefits

  • Expert industry analysis and interviews
  • Digital access to PV Tech Power journal
  • Exclusive event discounts

Or get the full Premium subscription right away

Or continue reading this article for free

Capton Energy will be led by Umer Ahmad, and the new CEO and chief investment officer said: “Capton Energy is already advanced in assembling a pipeline of solar-themed investments and is in progressive discussions to launch the inaugural fund raising.”

Steffen Grosse, head of equity finance at Siemens Financial Services, added: “The launch of Capton sets the stage to help drive the expansion of more sustainable and flexible energy systems across the Middle East, Africa and parts of Asia and we’re looking forward to jointly building this platform alongside Desert Technologies.” 

Desert Technologies, based in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, is a solar PV and smart infrastructure company focused in sustainable investments and manufacturing with more than 40 solar projects in 22 countries, with a major focus in the Middle East and Africa.

Demand in solar development has been increasing in the past years in the Middle East and North Africa with Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates leading the transition to renewable energy. The region is expected to have more than 50GW of solar PV by 2030, according to the International Renewable Energy Agency.

Read Next

May 12, 2026
Ming Yang Smart Energy has secured an Ethiopian investment licence for a US$14.1 billion clean energy project, including 2.8GW of solar PV capacity.
May 6, 2026
Scatec has established an equity partnership with the National Bank of Egypt for its Obelisk 1.1GW solar and 100MW/200MWh BESS project.
May 5, 2026
Masdar has signed an agreement with Emirates Water and Electricity Company (EWEC) to accelerate the deployment of more than 30GW of solar PV capacity and over 8GW of battery storage in the UAE. 
Premium
May 1, 2026
“We have copper shortages, aluminium shortages [and] all kinds of raw materials are struggling,” says Global Electronics Association's CEO, John Mitchell.
April 29, 2026
Chinese solar manufacturering giant JinkoSolar has signed two solar module supply agreements totalling 600MW in Nigeria. 
April 22, 2026
Exports of Chinese solar products hit a record 68GW in March 2026, a figure that is equivalent to Spain’s entire solar PV capacity.

Upcoming Events

Solar Media Events
May 20, 2026
Porto, Portugal
Upcoming Webinars
May 27, 2026
9am BST / 10am CEST
Upcoming Webinars
May 27, 2026
9am BST / 10am CEST
Media Partners, Solar Media Events
June 3, 2026
National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai)
Solar Media Events
June 16, 2026
Napa, USA