Egypt ranks 4th globally in generating electricity from solar energy thanks to Benban Solar Park
Egypt currently ranks fourth in the world, in generating electricity from solar energy, after the completion of the “Benban Solar Park” with a total capacity of ٢٠٠٠ megawatts. The mega-power complex has been established in cooperation with the private sector. India ranks first which is followed by China, then another plant in India.
Dubbed the world’s capital of solar energy, the Benban solar complex received the Arab government’s award of excellence in the category of “best Arab government project for infrastructure development”. Benban solar complex has become the focus of the world.
The desert of Benban village, northwest of Aswan, in the Daraw directorate, has been chosen to be the site of the world’s largest solar city. It spans an area of ٣٧ square kilometers, at an investment cost of more than $٢ billion. The solar city is considered the largest mega-project to be constructed in upper Egypt’s Aswan governorate after the June ٣٠ revolution.
Following the establishment of the Benban Solar Park, Egypt became a founding member of the International Solar Alliance (ISA). Accordingly, the Ministry of Electricity plans to further rely on new and renewable energy, where the percentage of its energy dependence would be around ٤٢٪ during the period from ٢٠٢٠ to ٢٠٣٥.
Benban Solar Park:
The site includes ٣٢ solar stations for generating electricity from solar energy, where the capacity of each station is ٥٠ megawatts. Transformer stations of the fully gas-insulated GIS type have been established for the first time in Egypt, where fuel is reserved during the operation period of Benban solar stations, in an effort to benefit from clean renewable energy.
The Benban plant is the fourth worldwide largest complex of solar energy plants which functions via a system of voltaic cells without storage. The establishment of the Benban plant has created more than ١٠,٠٠٠ job opportunities where calibers are being trained during the project implementation period and after the commercial operation of the investors’ stations.
The Benban solar complex was dubbed the world’s capital of solar energy. The Ministry of Electricity is currently planning to expand the project, bringing the total capacity generated from it to ٢,٠٠٠ megawatts to be the world’s largest capacity solar plant.
