Egypt's Minister of Electricity and Renewable Energy plans to add 500 MW of wind energy in the Gulf of Suez and 300 MW-hours of battery storage to the Abu Dhabi 1 project in Aswan Governorate by next summer in cooperation with UAE's AMEA POWER. During the 15th session of IRENA's General Assembly, Minister Mahmoud Esmat met with a delegation from AMEA POWER to discuss increasing the company's investments in renewable energy and battery storage in line with Egypt's energy strategy. This move aligns with the country's policy to support the private sector, increase investments in renewable energy, and diversify electricity generation sources, according to a Cabinet statement on Sunday. The discussions focused on joint work areas and updates on the ongoing projects, including the addition of a 300 MW-hour battery storage system to the recently inaugurated 500 MW Abydos 1 project in Aswan Governorate. They also considered the implementation of a 500 MW wind energy generation project in the Gulf of Suez, aiming to connect the new capacities to the unified grid by early next summer, the statement added. The report mentioned that measures to add up to 1500 MW through independent battery storage were also addressed, highlighting the importance of grid stability and maximising returns from renewable energy. Discussions also covered updates on the 1000 MW Abydos 2 solar energy project and its 600 MW-hour battery storage system, along with other collaborative projects between the electricity sector and the Al Nowais Group. Esmat stressed the importance of the private sector as a crucial partner in implementing the energy strategy and promoting the use of renewable energy, as per the Cabinet's statement. He emphasised the advantages of natural resources, particularly new and renewable energy sources, to increase their contribution to the energy mix to over 42 per cent by 2030 and 65 per cent by 2040. The electricity sector is actively promoting renewable energy and reducing carbon emissions by increasing the use of renewable energy sources and diversifying energy production, Esmat said. Attribution: Amwal Al Ghad English
