Egypt's solar power plans

Pollution is destroying the Pyramids

Egypt is clearly taking notes from Abu Dhabi and their clean energy bid, such as with the zero carbon Masdar City. The Egyptian government has been in talks with the state-owned clean energy firm Masdar to help fund a solar power plant along the eastern Red Sea coast.

For years, Egypt has tried to combat its emission output, which is among the highest per capita in the world. In fact, Egypt's carbon emissions have threatened one of its main sources of income - tourism.

Pollution from all over the country has been damaging the Pyramids more than four millennia of weathering ever has. The nearby (literally 30 metres) town of Nazlet as-Samaan ravages the monuments daily with clouds of airborne pollution as tourists flock to see the Great Pyramids. Some days, it is said you can barely see the mighty structures through the smog.

To combat this, Egypt has been trying hard to diversify its electrical power production, and that's where Masdar comes in. Along with three other unnamed European companies, they are being courted to aid in the construction of a US$1 billion solar power plant.

Abd El Rahman Salah El Din, Chairman of Nat's Renewable Energy Authority, Egypt, said, "We have many capabilities. We have a huge desert, we have human resources, we have clouds only about nine or ten days a year, and our sun projection is very high because we are in the sun belt."

"Technical know-how"

With rumours of the solar plant to be constructed in Kureimat in the Egyptian desert, in 65 thousand square meters of desert, the Egyptian government is keen to fund the project.

Speaking to Arabian Business, minister Mahmoud Mohieldin said, "We have been in discussions with Masdar and three potential companies to provide know-how from Europe. Masdar would be providing some of the funding and technical collaboration.

"We will be contributing as well to the project, through some of the local financial institutions, including some long-term finance houses. It will be a joint venture," he said.

Egypt has already begun work on the country's first solar unit, located just south of Cairo in Koraymat. This station will have a capacity of 140 megawatts and is expected to be operational later in the year.

It is part of a larger facility that also includes three non-solar units and is expected to generate 2,900 megawatts once it comes on-stream. Egypt aims to generate 20 percent of its power from renewable sources by 2020. Officials say Egypt's combined oil and gas reserves will last the country for roughly three more decades.

Masdar already have deals with Egypt to build a 200MW wind farm near Suez. The country already has two wind farms operating in the eastern part of the country, in the towns of Zafarana and Hurghada.

Egypt is not the only North African country to turn to solar power to cut costs and emissions. Morocco has revealed plans for a giant US$9 billion solar energy project, spread across five power sites.

Relevant articles:

Masdar City: A carbon-neutral metropolis | Qatar's sustainable desire | IBM: Making water in the desert

Timon Singh

Timon Singh is a graduate of Liverpool University where he received a degree in Social and Economic History. He has previously worked for BBC Magazines on BBC Who Do You Think You Are? Magazine, the publication for the popular genealogy show.

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