Siemens Gamesa to Develop 250 MW Wind Farm in Egypt

Siemens Gamesa will install 96 (SG 2.6-114) turbines through a turnkey EPC contract for the 250 MW West Bark wind energy project in Egypt

Siemens Gamesa has pledged its further commitment to the growth of clean energy in Egypt through the construction of the 250 MW West Bakr Wind project which is owned by the renewable power generation company Lekela. Siemens Gamesa will install 96 (SG 2.6-114) turbines through a turnkey EPC contract and will provide long term maintenance through a 15-year service agreement.

Alfonso Faubel, SGRE Onshore CEO, said that “we are proud to have been selected to contribute to the ambitious goals in renewable energy the Government has set for the coming years. Our aim is to support the government to deliver long term and lasting impact for our communities, economically, environmentally, and socially.”

The first wind turbines will be delivered in mid-2020 and the project is set to be fully operational in 2021. The Power Purchase Agreement and Network Connection Contract was signed by Lekela with the Egyptian Electricity Transmission Company and the New and Renewable Energy Company Authority earlier this year. The West Bakr Wind project, situated 30 km north-west of Ras el Ghareb, in the Gulf of Suez, will produce over 1,000 GWh per year, powering over 350,000 homes and saving around 550,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions annually.

All civil and most electrical and logistical work will be handled by local subcontractors and the majority of the wind turbine towers will be produced in Egypt. In total, 70 percent of the project construction scope will be delivered by local subcontractors, which will also help bolster the local economy.

The project will increase the country’s installed wind energy capacity by 18 percent, up to 1,650 MW, and is part of the Egyptian government’s Build, Own, Operate (BOO) framework. This important project will result in Egypt taking one step closer to diversifying its energy mix with the target of reaching 20 percent of the electricity coming from renewable sources by 2022.

Chris Antonopoulos, CEO, Lekela said “we have enjoyed working closely with Siemens Gamesa on Lekela’s first project in Egypt. We are proud to play a part in diversifying Egypt’s generation capacity by delivering best-in-class clean energy projects. As a long-term operator, we are focused on delivering lasting impact, which is why we focus on creating generation-spanning benefits for local communities.”

With the commissioning of the West Bakr project, Siemens Gamesa will add to 1243 MW or 8 projects that it has already executed in the African nation, taking its total near 1500 MW.