150 MW solar PV project in Egypt to commence commercial operation

ACCIONA Energía and Swicorp have completed the assembly of three photovoltaic plants in Egypt with a maximum capacity of 186 MWp (150 MW rated). They will enter commercial service in the next few weeks.

The facilities, which will be 50% owned by both companies when they enter service, represent an investment of around US$180 million and are located in the Benban complex set up by the Egyptian Government in the Aswan region.

The three projects in Benban come under the feed-in tariff system established by the Egyptian Administration in call for tender Round 2 published in October 2016. Overall, they will produce clean energy equivalent to the consumption of around 150,000 Egyptian homes and avoid the emission of 297,000 tonnes of CO2 per annum from fuel-oil power plants.

The power generated will be supplied to the utility Egyptian Electricity Transmission Company (EETC) under a long-term PPA contract (25 years) governed by the conditions set in Round 2. Finance for the operation has been agreed with International Finance Corporation (IFC), a World Bank body, and with Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB).

The plants cover a surface area of 2.88 square kilometres. Chint group provided 572,322 Astronergy technology polycrystalline silicon photovoltaic modules that have been assembled on horizontal axis trackers manufactured by STI Norland.