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Egypt Solar Power

German Company Plans 1 Gigawatt Solar Panel Factory In Egypt

written by saurabh

A German solar power company is planning to set up a modules manufacturing unit in Egypt using local raw material.

PSE AG recently announced plans to set up a solar modules manufacturing facility with a capacity of 1 gigawatts at an unnamed location in Egypt. The facility shall use Egyptian silica to manufacture solar cells and panels.

The company shall first run a feasibility study to determine if Egyptian silica can be used for manufacturing efficient solar cells and panels. For this study the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development has sanctioned funds worth $594,000.

Upon the positive outcome of the study, the manufacturing unit would be established within 2-3 years. PSE AG is also expected to set a one gigawatt solar power project using the panels manufactured which will be a true test of their efficiency.

Egypt has seen a massive surge in solar power project development of the last few months with several leading companies setting up projects in the Aswan solar power park.

The feed-in tariffs offered for the Aswan solar power park are comparable to tariffs of most solar power projects in the Middle East. However, it will be interesting to see if Egyptian modules can compete with Chinese modules in terms of prices.

The cheapest solar power projects in the Middle East use modules from China. Phase III of Dubai solar power park use Canadian Solar panels while one of the cheapest solar power park in the world – Abu Dhabi solar power park – will likely use Chinese modules manufactured by JinkoSolar.

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May 24, 2017 0 comment

EBRD Offers $458 Million Debt For 750 Megawatts Solar Power Projects In Egypt

written by saurabh

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has offered more than $450 million to various project developers planning to set up utility-scale solar power projects in Egypt.

The Bank has offered loans worth $458 million to a total of 16 project developers that represent 750 megawatts capacity. The projects were allocated to these developers through a tendering process. Some of the major project developers planning to set up projects are ACWA Power, Scatec Solar and EDF.

ACWA Power plans to set up a total of 120 megawatt capacity for which it has been offered debt funding worth $28.7 million. Scatec Solar will set up six project of 50 megawatts each and will be eligible for $243 million of debt funding from EBRD. European energy major EDF could get $29 million to set up a 50 megawatt project.

Scatec Solar had signed an agreement with the Egyptian authorities to set up 400 megawatt solar power capacity in the Ben Ban region. The company will pour $50-70 million in these projects itself as equity investment.

More than three dozen project developers had signed agreements with the Egyptian government to set up 1.8 gigawatts of solar power projects in the Ben Ban region, Aswan. The total investment for this solar power park is expected to be around $3 billion.

May 23, 2017 0 comment

Scatec Solar Signs 400 Megawatts Solar PPA In Egypt

written by saurabh

European solar power developer Scatec Solar has achieved a major milestone in its efforts to expand its footprint in the Egyptian solar market.

Scatec Solar recently announced that it signed power purchase agreements for solar power projects of cumulative capacity of 400 megawatts. The company will be set up under the first phase of feed-in tariff scheme announced by the Egyptian government.

The company had signed agreements with the Egyptian government in 2015 for 250 megawatts. It is not clear if the latest agreements for 400 megawatts are in addition to the old agreements.

The 400 megawatts capacity will be spread across six projects located in Ben Ban region. The projects are expected to require a total investment of $450 million with $50-70 million equity investment coming from Scatec Solar; balance debt finance will likely come from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.

Norfund is also expected to partner with Scatec Solar to set up the projects. In 2014, the two signed an agreement to form a joint venture to invest in solar power projects in developing and least developed countries.

The projects are expected to offset around 350,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions every year and contribute significantly to Egypt’s target to generate 870 GWh from renewable energy sources.

A number of companies are working on large-scale solar power projects in Egypt. These include ACWA Power, SkyPower IGD, Terra Sola and Mainstream.

April 22, 2017 0 comment

Egypt Signs Solar PPAs For 125 MW Capacity

written by saurabh

Three companies have signed agreements for project development and sale of solar power with the Egyptian authorities.

According to media reports, Nubian, ARC and Irena have signed agreements with the Egyptian Electricity Transmission Company (EETC) to develop solar power projects with cumulative capacity of 125 MW. Two of these projects will likely be the part of Aswan solar power park.

All three projects shall be developed under the first phase of feed-in tariff scheme wherein the tariffs have been set at US¢14.32/kWh. Nubian and ARC will set up projects of 50 MW each at Aswan while Irena, an Egyptian-Iraqi joint venture, will set up a 25 MW project in the West Nile region.

According to the requirements under phase I of the feed-in tariff scheme, project developers ought to bring in 85% of the project investment in foreign currency while the balance 15% shall be Egyptian Pounds.

A number of international project developers are working on a large-scale solar power park at Aswan. Companies that signed project developer agreements include Enel Green, EDF, Access Building Energy, and Building Energy Alliance. Companies that had signed the agreement earlier included TAQA Arabia, Cairo Solar, Orascom, Lekela Power (a joint venture between Mainstream Renewable Power and Actis).

Egypt plans to set up 2 GW wind energy and 2.3 GW solar power capacity by 2022. It also plans to increase the share of renewable energy in the electricity market to 20% by the same year.

The Ministry of Electricity and Energy recently announced that it will reduced the feed-in tariffs for solar power projects as part of the phase II of the feed-in tariff program. Projects with size of 500 kW to 20 MW will now have feed-in tariffs of US¢7.8/kWh, down from US¢13.6/kWh while projects of size 20-50 MW will see feed-in tariffs fall from US¢14.0/kWh to US¢8.4/kWh. These tariffs will be applicable to the second phase solar power projects implementation.

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October 30, 2016 0 comment

Eni Plans 420 MW Renewable Energy Capacity In Egypt

written by saurabh

Italian oil and gas company Eni has announced plans to develop a portfolio of renewable energy projects in Egypt, starting with 50 MW solar PV power plant.

The first project of 50 MW solar PV will be built in Sinai, near Eni’s Abu Rudeis facilities. The project will be jointly developed by Petrobel, an equal joint venture between Eni-owned IEOC and state-owned Egyptian General Petroleum Corporation (EGPC) under fast-track mode. The project will be sanctioned next month and expected to be commissioned by December 2017.

“With this initiative, the Egyptian authorities have confirmed their strong commitment towards the environment, based on the double positive effect of reducing the emissions from power generation and utilizing a green fuel in the auto transportation system,” Eni said, in a statement.

Eni already has a strong presence in Egypt since 1954 and operates through its subsidiary IEOC. Company is the owner of massive Zohr gas field and expected to start production next year, currently produces about 210,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day in Egypt.

This project would be part of Eni’s green energy program which aims to develop 420 MW of renewable energy projects mostly solar power generation by 2022.

The announcement is the first since Egypt announced reduction in the feed-in tariffs for solar power projects. The Ministry of Electricity and Energy recently announced that it reduced the feed-in tariffs for solar power projects. Projects with size of 500 kW to 20 MW will now have feed-in tariffs of US¢7.8/kWh, down from US¢13.6/kWh while projects of size 20-50 MW will see feed-in tariffs fall from US¢14.0/kWh to US¢8.4/kWh.

The Egyptian government also announced plans to change rules and regulations pertaining to the second phase of solar power expansion. The government will now allow international arbitration to address disputes.

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September 30, 2016 1 comment

TBEA To Build 1 GW Solar Power Project In Egypt

written by saurabh

The Chinese firm TBEA SunOasis has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with two Egyptian government agencies to build 1 GW solar power plant.

According to Dr. Sahar Nasr, Minister of International Cooperation, project would be developed in two phases of 500 MW each .The MoU signed by the Egyptian’s ministers of international cooperation and military production and the Chinese firm also envisaged the establishment of solar panels manufacturing facility in Egypt.

The Ministry of International Cooperation will provide support during the construction stages of the project along with the preparation of feasibility study in co-ordination with the development partners.

This deal would enable exchange of expertise in local production of silicon solar cells and would also provide technology transfer and knowledge for construction of major solar power plants in Egypt. TBEA will be responsible for transferring knowledge, training laborers, providing assistance in research and development, engineering consultancies and operation and maintenance of solar power plants.

This partnership is in line with the Egyptian’s government plan to diversify its energy mix using renewable energy. The country has already attracted investments from various international firms for several hundred megawatts of renewable energy projects.

Several international project developers have announced aggressive plans to set up solar power projects in Egypt. A total of 39 project developers have signed agreements with the Egyptian government to set up 1.8 GW solar power project in Aswan province.

Other companies, including Siemens, Skypower Global, ACWA Power-Masdar, Scatec Solar, and Mainstream-Actis, have also announced planned major investments in the solar as well as wind energy sectors in Egypt.

July 31, 2016 0 comment

Masdar Commissions 30 MW Hybrid Solar Power Projects In Egypt

written by saurabh

Last year, Masdar announced plans to set up renewable energy projects in Egypt as part of its plan to expand into the emerging markets of Middle East and North Africa. The special projects unit of Masdar has now announced that it commissioned a total capacity of 30 MW capacity various parts of Egypt. This includes utility-scale hybrid solar power projects as well as off-grid solar power systems with facility of storage.

The largest of the utility-scale project has a capacity of 10 MW and its located in Siwa. The project generates over 17,500 MWh every year and meets 30% of the area’s electricity demand. An additional 6 projects with combined generation capacity of 20 MW were also commissioned.

Solar power panels have been added to existing diesel-based power systems thus creating solar-diesel hybrid power systems. The capacity of these projects is between 0.5 MW and 6 MW. According to Masdar press release, the projects ‘save costs associated with the purchase and transport of diesel, reducing risk of fuel price increases and supply shortages, and greatly reduce CO2 emissions.’

ACWA Power and Masdar had signed an agreement with Egyptian Electricity Holding Company to develop 2 GW of renewable energy capacity, including 1.5 GW solar power and 500 MW wind energy capacity. The companies are expected to start the capacity development with a 200 MW solar photovoltaic power plant.

Masdar group also set up 7,000 off-grid solar power systems in remote areas of Egypt which had no access to electricity. The systems consist of two solar panels, two batteries with up to two days of storage capacity and lighting units. These systems have been set up at homes, mosques, clinics, schools and community centres.

May 9, 2016 0 comment

International Consortium Initiates Construction Of 2 GW Solar Power Capacity In Egypt

written by saurabh

International companies are making swift progress on their plans to significantly boost renewable energy capacity addition in Egypt.

An international consortium led by Terra Sola recently announced that it started construction of a 2 GW solar power project in Egypt. The project is expected to require a total investment of $3.5 billion. The consortium includes Terra Sola Ventures, Terra Nex, RWE New Energy, and Hareon Solar Technologies.

The entire project also includes construction of 200 MW solar PV module fabrication facility as well as an inverter manufacturing unit. Equipment manufactured at these facilities shall be used locally and will also be exported to other markets.

Terra Sola had announced plans for this venture last year. The company had briefed the government about its plans to set up extensive solar power infrastructure in the country. The company had stated that it expects an annual revenue of $760 million and provide employment to 20,000 people through this investment plan.

Other companies, including Siemens, Skypower Global, ACWA Power-Masdar, Scatec Solar and Mainstream-Actis, have also announced planned major investments in the solar as well as wind energy sectors in Egypt.

April 30, 2016 0 comment