Egypt Will Generate 10GW Renewable Energy Next Year

The government of Egypt is looking to expedite the renewable energy projects in the country, with plans to generate about 10,000 MW of solar and other renewable power in 2023 said a government official to media. The government expects the rise in renewable energy production in the coming year as many energy projects will then be completed and operational.

The Egyptian Government is aiming to raise the share of the clean and green energy in the energy mix of the North African country. The Electricity and Renewable Energy Ministry of Egypt has formulated plans that will help in intensifying investments in the renewable energy sector. The information has been shared by Ministry spokesman Ayman Hamza to the press.

The spokesperson has also stated that construction works include green hydrogen and ammonia plants that could help exports. He added that renewable energy will also be employed in water desalination projects and farm irrigation but that will require massive investments in the RE sector.

Hamza said, “We have set a target in our energy strategy to reach a renewable energy production level of 10,000 MW in 2023…we are certain we can attain that target considering that Egypt enjoys long sunny days and good wind velocity.”

Last month, EU climate policy head Frans Timmermans was in Egypt when he said that Egypt can play a crucial role in supplying clean energy to Europe when the EU is looking to reduce and subsequently eliminate the dependence from the Russian fossil fuels.

Subsequently, UAE based RE major Masdar and investment company Hassan Allam Utilities have signed two MoUs with  Egypt for the development of green hydrogen production plants in the Suez Canal Economic Zone and on the Mediterranean coast.

At the beginning of the year, the New and Renewable Energy Authority report said that in 2021, Egypt had renewable energy capacity of 24000 GW/h. It also said that RE projects worth 3570 MW were in the process of development and attracting an investment of $3.5 billion.

Egypt, like another North African country Morocco, has an opportunity in exporting renewable energy through trans continental power lines, thus delivering solar energy when the sun is not even shining in Europe. However, costs and other infrastructural challenges remain to be surmounted.