The wind project by UAE’s Masdar and Egypt aims to produce 47,790 gigawatts of clean energy annually which will reduce Egypt’s yearly carbon emissions by displacing 23.8 million tonnes of carbon dioxide per year
Masdar, the Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company PJSC signs deal with Egypt’s Hassan Allam Utilities and Infinity Power, signs an agreement with Egypt’s New and Renewable Energy Authority to secure land to build a $10 billion mega wind farm with a 10-gigawatt capacity. This project is set to be the largest onshore wind farm in the world.
The signing was witnessed by top officials including Chief Executive Officer of Masdar, Nayer Fouad, Chief Executive Officer of Infinity Power, Hassan and Amr Allam, Chief Executive Officers of Hassan Allam Holding, Egyptian Prime Minister, HE Moustafa Madbouly, HE Dr. Sultan Al Jaber, UAE Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology, HE Dr. Mohamed Shaker El-Markabi, Minister for Electricity and Renewable Energy, Mohamed Jameel Al Ramahi.
The biggest onshore wind project
The wind project by UAE and Egypt aims to produce 47,790 gigawatts of clean energy annually which will reduce Egypt’s yearly carbon emissions by displacing 23.8 million tonnes of carbon dioxide per year. This would help in reducing nearly 9 percent of carbon emissions. Egypt will also attain its strategic goal of sourcing 42 percent of its energy from renewables by the year 2030 through the wind farm. The natural gas costs annually could be saved by the North African region by an estimated $5 billion.
The original agreement was signed between Masdar, Infinity Power, and Hassan Allam Utilities in the presence of high officials. The signing event was done on the sidelines of COP27, the UN climate change conference last year in Egypt. UAE Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology, Chairman of Masdar, and COP28 President-Designate, Dr. Sultan Al Jaber stated that the wind project is a sign of a strong partnership between both countries, bolstering the potential to create jobs, power homes at competitive economical costs, and reduce the emission to a large extend.
“This 10GW onshore wind project is set to be one of the largest wind farms in the world and the largest on the African continent. Projects like these will support the global efforts to reduce the impact of climate change and help keep the ambition of 1.5 intact while enabling significant socio-economic growth,” added Dr. Sultan Al Jaber. The project further demonstrates Masdar’s commitment to supporting African nations to meet their renewable energy goals.
After its joint venture with Infinity Power, Masdar became the largest operator of renewable in Africa. Minister of Electricity and Renewable Energy in Egypt, Dr. Mohamed Shaker Al-Markabi stated that the country has an ambitious program to advance in the electricity sector and most of it focuses on optimizing and the use of renewable energy resources and encouraging investment in this field, which would lead to reducing the dependence on fossil fuels and continue to reduce the carbon emissions “in line with Egypt’s energy strategy to have up to 42 percent of our energy mix from renewable energy sources by 2030, while complementing the National Climate Strategy 2050 to face the challenges of climate change and achieve sustainable economic growth.”
He also added that the project represents the resuming of historical and brotherly relations between the two countries. Egypt’s rich energy resources can attract foreign investments. The government also has a direct role in creating a supportive environment of investment with low risks and high interaction with development partners and financing institutions.
Egypt is MENA’s most populous country and has an abundance of rich renewable resources including solar and wind energy. Looking at Masdar’s expansion, one could see that the company has a large presence in the country with projects from 2015. Last year, during COP27, Hassan Allam Utilities and Infinity Power signed agreements with the Egyptipan state-backed organisations to produce green hydrogen production facilities.