CAIRO: Testing of Egypt's first solar/thermal power plant began this week. The Ministry of Electricity and Energy began testing the plant's performance, using 140 megawatts of power in al-Korimat neighborhood in Helwan governorate. Minister of Electricity and Energy Hassan Younis said the plant will be operational in mid June. The solar/thermal power project is one of four pioneer projects of its kind in the world. The project aims to developed renewable energy sources, Younis said during a press conference. Nearly 2 billion EGP (U.S. $330 million) was invested in the plant, according to Younis. Moreover, the Global Environment Facility granted Egypt 50 million EGP (U.S. $8 million) for the project, and the Japan Bank for International Cooperation gave Egypt a soft loan. Younis also said his ministry plans to set up several solar plants, including a 100 megawatt plant in Kom Ombo in Aswan governorate. The ministry also aims to set up two photo-voltaic cell projects with the capacity to reach 50 megawatts during 2012-2017. The photo-voltaic cells convert sunlight into electricity which can be used to run household appliances and lighting. The new plant is expected to produce 850 million kilowatts per hour. The number is equal to 10,000 tons of oil, and consequently could reduce CO2 emissions by 20,000 tons annually. Arabic here.
