Egyptian Minister of Electricity and Energy, Hassan Younis said the strategy of electricity sector aims to increase renewable energy by 20 percent of the total amount of power generating until 2020. Younis said the private sector planned to carry out 63 percent of their projects. The local manufacturer will produce the components of electric generating projects and is planning to increase as well. Younis also said the wind farm is established to produce 120 MW, scheduled to be operated in 2013. He said this during his speech in the international conference for wind energy in Cairo, which began today Monday 31. The minister added that climatic changes are the most important social and economical challenges around the world. These climatic changes resulted from burning the fossil fuel, which produces CO2. However, the constant demand on power requires power supplies, and consequently is necessary to use fossil fuels to provide energy. Younis assured caring about wind power is a part of the electricity sector policy. It aims to vary wind resources and generate wind from all renewable resources. The sector also is studying ways to improve the power efficiency. Younis invited global investors, who have previous experience about wind farms, to establish the first wind farm of 250 MW in Egypt. The wind farm will be established by Building, Owning and Operation system (BOO). It schedules to begin operating in 2013. The ministry also issued new competitive bidding to the project of establishing a 1000 MW wind farm. The bid will be divided to four parts to attract the biggest number of investors. The electricity sector works to encourage investors to transfer technology and encourage local manufacturing. The wind farm is scheduled to be completed in 2015 or 2016. Younis said the electricity sector pays great attention to build human capabilities by presenting technology and training courses, which improves the skills of dealing with technology. Regarding researches and training in electricity and Egyptian energies, Younis said groups of labs, researches, tests centers and the Wind Technology Center, are researching ways to develop equipments and systems of wind farms. They also issue expiry certifications for renewable energies equipment. He said Egypt is cooperating with German, Danish and European Union governorates through the Regional Center of Excellence for Renewable Powers and Improving Power efficiency. Egypt hosts the center serving 13 countries in the Middle East and North Africa. The center depends on three main methods; developing strategies and policies of renewable energies, improving its efficiency and supporting its researches. The center also encourages partnership between private and public sector and building human cadres. At the end of his speech Younis assured the importance of unifying efforts and exchanging points of view. He also encouraged local manufacturing and attracting effective partnership.
