CAIRO: India is planning to implement a pilot project on renewable energy in Egypt in order to enhance bilateral cooperation and encourage participation from the private sector to participate in developing wind and solar energy. According to a report by Business Standard on Saturday, the two countries signed a MoU during Indian Minister of New and Renewable Energy Farooq Abdullah's visit to Egypt. He called the partnership a win-win situation. India's Ambassador to Egypt, R Swaminathan, said the MoU is an agreement on training programs and equipment manufacturing as well as exchanging information, policy formulation and joint research and development. Abdullah was invited to visit Egypt by Egypt's Minister of Electricity and Energy, Hassan Younes. Abdullah came for a 5-day visit along with a delegation of fourteen others from India's top companies engaged in wind and solar energy. “We feel we should help each other, this is an energy that is good for all and it is free from good and it does not have the damaging effect to the environment as the fossil fuel has. And the price of fossil fuels is going up and the demand for energy is increasing,” Abdullah said. The pilot project is to be implemented in an Egyptian village and will be equally funded by both sides. Abdullah said Egypt has the unique distinction of being the center of Africa, Europe, and Arab countries, and consequently can easily export excess energy to other countries. Currently, ten percent of Indian energy is generated from renewable energy sources, particularly wind. BM
