TAQA Arabia Commissions 20 MW Solar Plant In Sharm El-Sheikh

In line with Egypt’s strategy to increase the utilisation of clean energy, TAQA Power, a subsidiary of TAQA Arabia (service utility and energy provider in Egypt) announced the commissioning of the largest solar plant in Sharm El-Sheikh, covering an area of 250,000 square meters and producing 42 GWh /year. This is in keeping with the support provided by the Ministry of Electricity and Renewable Energy and the Governorate of South Sinai for private-sector energy projects.

Eng. Khaled Abu Bakr, the Executive Chairman of TAQA Arabia, stated that it has been a pioneer in energy and was the first company to commercially manage its plot in the huge Benban project. This has been a significant economic success and helped Egypt to move towards clean energy.

TAQA Arabia launches the largest solar plant in Sharm El-Sheikh with a capacity of 20 MW. This is an exceptional opportunity, and I want to thank the Ministry of Electricity and Renewable Energy for their constant support and cooperation in the development of this project. I also want to thank the Governorate of South Sinai and the Tourism Development Authority, for their valuable trust. Last but not least, I want to thank the New and Renewable Energy Authority as well as the Egyptian Electric Utility and Consumer Protection Regulatory Agency for their tireless efforts to grant us all the required licenses to finish the project.

Chief Executive Officer of TAQA Arabia, Pakinam Kafafi, said, “In line with TAQA Arabia’s support of the Egyptian government’s plan and strategy to transition to clean energy, and in continuance of TAQA Arabia’s plans to expand its renewable energy portfolio, we have successfully developed and started operation of 20 MW capable of supplying clean electricity to more than 6,000 hotel rooms with clean electricity. Our Services cater for the need for Renewable energy to serve several sectors, including the agricultural, tourist, industrial and residential sectors.”

Kafafi added, “The whole project development until the operation has been accomplished in an unprecedented record time, which did not exceed four months. This has contributed greatly to transforming Sharm El-Sheikh into a green and smart city. In addition, TAQA Arabia’s invested in various other projects that aim at serving South Sinai Governorate in terms of implementing a cohesive strategy pertaining to energy services, such as EV charging stations, and natural gas stations that supply vehicles with compressed natural gas. All this contributes to reducing carbon emissions and transforming Sharm El-Sheikh into an environment-friendly city.”

Eng. Sami AbdelKader, Managing Director at TAQA Power expressed his pride at completing the major project in a short time and with an investment of EGP 250 million. The project will reduce carbon emissions by approximately 500,000 tons over its life span, which can last up to 25 years. The station will serve Nabq tourist area. Global Energy (a TAQA Arabia Company), is licensed to distribute electricity in Nabq and implement a self-consumption system. The 30% Nabq’s power demand will be met by the Solar Plant, which is part of the government’s plans to transform Egypt’s energy system and make Sharm El-Sheikh the first green city in the nation.

AbdelKader added, “TAQA Arabia is constantly backing and offering distinct services with the aim of fulfilling their needs for clean energy. Last year, TAQA Power concluded several solar energy projects, such as a PV plant in Dina Farms – one of the largest farms in the Middle East, as well as Somabay tourist resort in the Red Sea, in addition to other solar energy plants with different capacities to meet the needs of several hotels. All these accomplishments empowered TAQA Arabia to reach a contractual capacity exceeding 100 megawatts of clean energy to meet the private sector’s requirements of sustainable and green energy.”

A TAQA Arabia Company, TAQA PV For Solar Energy invited all interested parties to the consultation session for the registration of Nabq’s solar power plant (20 MW). It is located in Nabq Bay, South Sinai Governorate.