Generating renewable solar electricity in Egypt

Egypt is situated in the northeastern corner of Africa, and is a country characterised by quintessential desert landscapes and markers of its ancient Egyptian civilisation. On top of its rich history and iconic landmarks, did you know that this country also has abundant potential for solar power? 

Egypt forms part of the Sahara desert and the Libyan desert, both hyper-arid regions of hot and dry weather, with minimal rainfall and plenty of sunlight. Although temperatures vary greatly in its inland desert areas, ranging from 7°C at night to 43°C during the day, the near-constant daily sunshine throughout the year creates the perfect conditions for solar power. 

Egypt is home to over 106 million people, where 100% of its population has access to electricity. This means there is enough demand for converting the sun’s energy into electricity through solar panels, however, more solar power stations are required to sufficiently alter Egypt’s energy grid and move away from fossil fuel-derived energy sources. While Egypt has made strides to decrease its reliance on fossil fuels by reforming long standing fossil fuel subsidies some two decades ago, oil and gas continue to dominate its energy sector. As a result, the development of solar power stations are a welcome addition to its electricity grid, and their increased uptake in recent years indicates recognition of their incredible capabilities. 

The world’s attention will be on Egypt as COP27 will be taking place in Sharm el-Sheikh in November 2022, and the shift to renewable energy sources will undoubtedly be part of the discussion.

This project will prevent 779,450 tonnes of CO2e from entering our atmosphere over its 10 year lifespan. That’s 77,945 tonnes of CO2e reduced each year!

The project is located in Benban, Egypt. Benban solar park is a power complex of 41 solar power plants being developed, located in the Aswan governorate, and is anticipated to be the largest solar photovoltaic (PV) park in the world, upon completion. 

This project involves the installation and operation of a solar power plant with peak capacity of 50 MW and does this through utilising photovoltaic (PV) solar power technology. The PV panel generates electricity by converting solar power, the most abundant renewable energy, into electric power to create clean energy with no consumption of fossil fuels and no emission of greenhouse gases (GHGs). The net electricity generated from this project (158,881 MWh annual estimated electricity output) will be supplied to the national grid.

On top of reducing dependence on fossil fuels and their associated GHG emissions, this project aims to enhance general well-being for the people of Egypt. In recent years, Egypt has faced a serious shortage of electricity due to insufficient and inconsistent supply, which has caused negative development impacts for the economy as a whole, as well as the activities of many households. This project will contribute to balancing the gap between supply and demand, and increase development opportunities as a result.

This project is verified by the Verified Carbon Standard. You can view it on the Verra Registry here.