Siemens to provide turbines for 250MW wind project in Egypt

Siemens Gamesa will install 96 SG 2.6-114 turbines for the 250 MW West Bakr Wind project which is owned by Lekela through a turnkey EPC contract and will provide long term maintenance through a 15-year service agreement.

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.

The first wind turbines will be delivered in mid-2020 and the project is set to be fully operational in 2021. Earlier this year Lekela signed the Power Purchase Agreement and Network Connection Contract with the Egyptian Electricity Transmission Company and the New and Renewable Energy Authority.

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% of the project construction scope will be delivered by local subcontractors, which will also help bolster the local economy.

The project will increase Egypt’s installed wind energy capacity by 18%, up to 1,650 MW. This important project will result in Egypt taking one step closer to diversifying its energy mix with the target of reaching 20% of the electricity coming from renewable sources by 2022.

Chris Antonopoulos, CEO, Lekela commented: “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.”