CAIRO: The Egyptian government hopes two new projects will help push forward solar and wind energy in the country. According to the country's Electricity Minister Hassan Younis, Egypt is planning to build a 100-megawatt solar power plant in order to meet the growing electricity needs facing the country. Hassan Younis was quoted last weekend by the official Middle East News Agency (MENA) as saying the project will cost about $700 million and will be financed by the World Bank and the African Development Fund. Younis said the photovoltaic power plant will be built in Kom Ombo, near the Aswan High Dam hydroelectric plant in southern Egypt. Elsewhere, wind power initiatives apparently have gotten a push, with the ministry reporting that bids for the construction of a 1,000 Megawatt energy park in the Gulf of Suez will open this Septemeber. The new facility will be located on the Gabal el-Zeit area and will be a “build-own-operate” idea that will give more incentive for companies to put forward tender bids, said ministry spokesman Aktham Abou el-Ella. “Ninety percent of the land in Egypt is empty and is suitable for setting up wind farms,” Abou El-Ella said. “With solar power, plant costs are very high, and with hydraulic power reaching its maximum capacity, wind farms remain the best option for renewable energy in Egypt.” Wind is not new to Egypt, with a 500 MW power plant already established in the Zaafrana are of the Gulf of Suez, however, the ministry believes that this new effort will spark more interest in the budding field. “We believe that through the incentive idea, companies will be more willing to enter the market because they will get the profits from their construction as well,” el-Ella told Bikya Masr. Despite the positive efforts made by the North African country to have 14 percent of its power from renewable sources of energy, the ministries of electricity and environment believe the country can double this by 2025 if options are made available. According to an environment ministry official in the Red Sea, Egypt has the potential to “show the world how renewable energy can be profitable and sustainable.” BM
