Egypt inaugurates UAE-built US$500 million solar power plant
The power plant comes amid a push by the Egyptian government to boost renewable energy production after last summer’s severe power outages
Egypt inaugurated a US$500 million solar plant in the southern city of Aswan on Saturday as part of its push to boost renewable energy production after last summer’s severe power outages.
The Abydos Solar PV Plant, which was developed by Dubai-based energy company AMEA Power, has a capacity of 500 megawatts and was completed in just 18 months.
The plant is expected to generate 1,500 gigawatt-hours of clean energy annually, enough to power about 300,000 households while offsetting 782,300 tonnes of CO2 emissions, according to AMEA Power.
The project is a “pivotal step in boosting the use of renewable energy in Egypt”, and part of a “national strategy aimed at reducing reliance on traditional energy sources”, Prime Minister Moustafa Madbouly said at the plant’s commissioning ceremony on Saturday.
The premier added that the project would also support the government’s efforts to curb summer power cuts, which have become frequent during periods of high electricity demand.
Last summer, Egypt faced daily power cuts lasting up to three hours, driven by high cooling demand as temperatures soared.
