By: Yassmine ElSayed
CAIRO, Feb. 23 (SEE) – Energy analysts expected that Egypt
will be exporting electricity to its neighbors thanks to the many renewable
energy projects that have been developed in recent years, which are due to
private electricity producers.
A recent report published by “afrik21.africa” explained that
Egypt now has a surplus of 19,000 MW, and the electricity sector has been
dynamic in recent years with the increase in renewable energy projects.
In January 2019, for example, the Emirian company, Alcazar
Energy, commissioned the first phase of the Nubian Suns solar park 650 km from
Cairo, the Egyptian capital.
The facility, which cost $68 million to build, has a
generating capacity of 64 MW. The Emirates private power producer (IPP) has
received financial support from several development partners such as the
International Finance Corporation (IFC), the private sector arm of the World
Bank Group, the African Development Bank (AfDB), the Asian Infrastructure
Investment Bank (AIIB), the European Arab Bank, CDC Group, a British
government-owned development finance institution and the Arab Bank of Bahrain.
As a result, four IPPs applied for land from the New and
Renewable Energy Authority (NREA), the body mandated by the Egyptian government
to launch new renewable energy production projects.
The allocation of these spaces should enable them to build
wind farms with a combined capacity of 400 MW. All these projects are part of
the Benban program, launched by the authorities to encourage IPPs to invest in
Egypt. Since then, several projects have been launched in this North African
country and it now has a production surplus of 19,000 MW.
According to the report, the rate of access to electricity
in Egypt is 100%, and the country is one of the best performers on the African
continent.
One might therefore wonder: why this frenetic race towards
the construction of new solar and wind power plants? The answer came from
Mohamed Shaker, Minister of Electricity and Renewable Energy, who has recently
announced Egypt’s intention to sell the surplus to Sudan, Cyprus and Saudi
Arabia.
This will require transport lines. In the near future, the
government therefore intends to launch calls for tenders for the
interconnection project with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, which should enable
3,000 MW to be transmitted.
The same operation will be carried out in the direction of Sudan to transfer 300 MW.” After the completion of national projects to improve networks and substations, the Egyptian national grid will be able to exchange up to 10,000 MW. This will contribute to the creation of foreign currency income,” Shaker said.
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