USD 12 Mn Serious, Egypt Is Championing The Installation Of Solar Power Stations In 7 African Countries
In an ambitious stride to assist the African continent in its development process, Egypt has taken the plunge to implement solar power plants in seven African countries. The project which it hopes to generally conclude by 2020, will go a long way in improving electricity access in all the nations involved.
This initiative is being furthered on the back of the Arab Organization for Industrialization (AOI), one of the North African country’s largest industrial organizations.
The renewable energy stations will be launched in some of the power-trouble countries in Africa, including Uganda (10 percent), Tanzania (32.7 percent), Eritrea (46.68) percent, Somalia (16 percent), South Sudan (4.53 percent), and Congo (17.15 percent).
The solar plants will have capacities ranging from 2 to 4 megawatts, and would be used in brightening up and desalinating via an Egyptian grant worth USD 12 Mn.
This is not the highest renewable solar feat for the country, though, as it has already spent USD 2 Bn, building one of the world’s largest solar projects in its own desert.
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The implementation and supply activities involved in the initiative are being carried out with its Military Production Ministry, while the seven African countries identified the priority areas for the implementation of these stations. The Arab nation also decided to locate and fashion each of the plants to begin the installation, construction, and operations.
The AOI is not new to such projects. In Egypt alone, the organization has already designed and implemented over 100 solar plants with different capacities since 2013.
The Arab military organization has also shown how committed it is to better infrastructure projects, including drinking water purification plants, wastewater treatment, and desalination plants. By getting involved in this new project, AOI shows concern to advance renewable energy in Africa.
It’s no news that Africa needs urgent attention as regards its power sector. With unarguably the highest rate of power cuts in the world, the continent’s businesses and daily lives are disrupted.
In the Sahel region alone, about 64 percent of the population do not have access to electricity. This deficit, according to the African Development Bank, costs Africa 2-4 percent GDP annually.
Back home, Egypt intends to supply 20 percent of generated electricity from renewable sources by 2022, with wind providing 12 percent, Hydropower 5.8 percent, and Solar 2.2 percent.
The government has recently announced their renewable energy plan for 2035 to include an addition of 67 GW (representing 45 percent of total generated electricity), of which 31 GW comes from PV, and 20 GW from wind.
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