Chinese solar panel manufacturer Yingli Green Energy is planning to participate in Dubai’s 100MW solar park project, as part of the company’s expansion plans in the Middle East and Africa in 2014.

The company is looking to expand its business in emerging markets such as the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Egypt, Qatar, Kuwait, Pakistan, Nigeria and others.

The National cited Yingli Green Energy managing director Dimitirios Bachadakis as saying that the company will bid on Dubai’s independent power plant (IPP) project.

“There is a huge move towards solar energy in Saudi Arabia, Oman and the UAE to name just a few,” Bachadakis said.

As part of the plan to diversify its energy mix by 2030 in the UAE, the state utility Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) has issued a tender for the solar park project, with the deadline on 5 July 2014.

The tender for the solar part forms part of the AED1bn 1,000MW Mohammad bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park project.

Yingli executive director Middle East Evangelos Lianos was quoted by Reuters as saying, “It is either we will partner with other companies together and then will submit our bid, or it might be that our strategy is we will support this project with services to the participating companies.”

Currently, DEWA is negotiating with other partners and governments to equip large-scale solar installations in the region.