Egypt Boosts Power Grid With $500 Million Solar Plant

Egypt launched a $500 million solar facility in the southern city of Aswan on Saturday to enhance renewable energy generation following the severe power outages experienced last summer.

The Abydos Solar PV Plant, developed by the Dubai-based energy firm AMEA Power, boasts a capacity of 500 megawatts and was completed in a mere 18 months. The plant is expected to produce 1,500 gigawatt-hours of clean energy each year, sufficient to supply power to approximately 300,000 homes while reducing CO2 emissions by 782,300 tonnes, according to AMEA Power.

Prime Minister Moustafa Madbouly said at the plant’s inauguration ceremony that the project is a “crucial step toward increasing the adoption of renewable energy in Egypt” and is part of a “national strategy focused on diminishing dependence on conventional energy sources.”

Moustafa noted that this project would aid the government’s attempts to mitigate summer power outages, which have become common during high-demand electricity.

Last summer, Egypt experienced daily power outages lasting as long as three hours last summer, resulting from high cooling demands amid soaring temperatures.