Egypt plans global tender for wind energy grid project

Egypt reportedly plans a global tender to construct a power transmission line connecting wind energy facilities in the Gulf of Suez to the national power grid. 

The project is estimated at EGP12 billion ($226 million) and completion is planned for mid-2027, Asharq Business reported, citing unidentified sources. 

The proposed transmission line will span 390km and have capacity of 500 kilovolts, making it one of the largest in the country. 

The plan is to integrate renewable energy projects, especially those by Norway’s Scatec and Orascom Construction, into the national grid. 

In January, Scatec said it would build a large solar plant and energy storage in the Minya governorate. The plant will have generation capacity of 1.7 gigawatts and be supported by battery energy storage systems with capacity of 4 gigawatt-hours.

A consortium comprising Orascom, French utility Engie and Aeolus, an African renewables firm, announced in March plans to develop a 900-megawatt onshore wind farm near Ras Shokeir on the western coast of the Gulf of Suez in Egypt.

Earlier this month, Cairo said it plans to add 2.5 gigawatts of renewable capacity to its national grid to meet rising power demand and curb reliance on fossil fuels.

The government expects renewable energy to account for 42 percent of its electricity generation mix by 2030, electricity minister Mahmoud Esmat said.

Egypt launched the Nexus of Water, Food and Energy programme in 2022. This aims to advance its national climate agenda by mobilising climate finance and private investment to support the green transition.

In December, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development said it would provide €200 million ($235 million) to support Egypt’s plans to transition to a green economy.

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