Egypt and ACWA Power Accelerate Wind and Solar Projects to Strengthen Grid Stability
Egypt’s Minister of Electricity and Renewable Energy, Mahmoud Esmat, met with ACWA Power Country Development Director Hassan Amin to discuss enhancing cooperation and partnership in renewable energy fields and supporting the unified grid. The meeting comes as part of Egypt’s national plan to add new solar and wind generation capacities to achieve energy security and a balanced energy mix while expanding battery storage technologies to secure the grid and ensure stable electricity supply.
Esmat and Amin reviewed progress on ACWA Power’s 1.1 gigawatt Zafarana wind power project, with the first phase of 550 megawatts scheduled to enter commercial operation by the end of this year. They also discussed the company’s future large-scale wind project south of Hurghada, with a total capacity exceeding 1.5 gigawatts, that is currently in the phase of final feasibility studies and technical assessments before construction begins.
The talks focused on using energy storage technologies to boost renewable energy returns amid rising demand in an effort to stabilize the grid and ensure a reliable electricity supply. Esmat emphasized the government’s push to accelerate deployment of wind and solar projects, scale up battery storage solutions, and increase clean power penetration in the electricity generation mix, while curbing fossil fuel consumption and carbon emissions under Egypt’s energy transition roadmap.
Both sides reviewed ACWA Power’s solar assets in Benban and Kom Ombo in southern Egypt. Egypt aims to significantly raise the share of renewable energy in its energy mix in order to enhance energy security, diversify supply sources, and lower greenhouse gas emissions, in line with its national energy strategy and long-term decarbonization objectives.
ACWA Power is a developer, investor and operator of power generation and desalinated water plants, with 110 assets in operation, construction or advanced development across 15 countries. The company has been present in Egypt since 2015 and expanded its operations with a focus on solar and wind projects, including three solar plants in the Benban park in Aswan. It also operates the 200 megawatt Kom Ombo Solar PV plant, which entered commercial operation in July 2024, supplying power to around 130,000 households and offsetting approximately 280,000 tons per year of carbon emissions.
Source: egyptoil-gas.com
