EGYPT-SOLAR ENERGY Egypt looks to solar energy to power its future

Record ID: 149919

  • Title: EGYPT-SOLAR ENERGY Egypt looks to solar energy to power its future
  • Date: 2nd June 2015
  • Summary: CAIRO, EGYPT (JUNE 1, 2015) (REUTERS) ***WARNING CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** VARIOUS OF ATTENDEES AT EVENT AT SWISS EMBASSY (SOUNDBITE) (English) EGYPTIAN VICE CHAIRMAN OF THE NEW AND RENEWABLE ENERGY AUTHORITY FOR STUDIES AND TECHNICAL AFFAIRS, OMNEYA SABRY, SAYING: "In the solar projects, we have about 80 megawatt - 20 megawatt each in different areas in Egypt, and tho
  • Embargoed: 17th June 2015 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Japan
  • Country: Japan
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVA882GLZOOJXM3FP4U58S93KWV6
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: As Egypt hots up for summer, one thing the north African state is not short of is sunshine. Now Egypt is hoping to tap into the abundance of the sun's rays turning its attention to solar energy.
    Only one percent of the country's energy needs are powered by renewable energy with Egypt relying heavily on gas and oil fuel.
    But now Egypt's leadership is throwing its weight behind a combination of efforts to boost renewable energy generation.
    The government has announced a string of plans, including the construction of solar-and wind-power plants to add a combined capacity of 4.3 gigawatt hours to the country's grid and the introduction of a new feed-in tariff system aimed at encouraging private investment.
    As the summer heat approaches and Egypt worries it faces more power outages like those that last year hit the country as often as twice a day, the government has announced it wants to cut reliance on natural gas and fuel oil from 90 percent to 62 percent by 2020.
    Even though this diversification push may include adding coal to the country's energy mix, a flurry of renewable-energy start-ups say this could be their window of opportunity.
    Only last month Access Power said it had agreed a deal with Egypt's government to build a 65 megawatt (MW) solar power plant and was in talks for a wind power scheme in the North African country which would generate 50 MW of power.
    The developer and operator of power projects in the Middle East and Africa said in a statement that it would build the solar plant in Aswan. It has signed a memorandum of understanding with Egypt's Ministry of Electricity and Renewable Energy. The developer and operator of power projects in the Middle East and Africa said in a statement that it would build the solar plant in Aswan. It has signed a memorandum of understanding with Egypt's Ministry of Electricity and Renewable Energy.
    At an event on Monday (June 1) in the country's capital, Cairo, Egyptian Vice Chairman of the New and Renewable Energy Authority for Studies and Technical Affairs, Omneya Sabry, spoke about the country's solar projects.
    ''We have about 80 megawatt - 20 megawatt each in different areas in Egypt, and those projects were financed in cooperation with international financial institutions,'' she said.
    Sabry was speaking at an event at the Swiss Embassy in cooperation with the Swiss-Egyptian Business Association.
    The conference focussed on the Solar plane, Solar Impulse 2, as it travels around the world only using solar energy.
    During the event the Swiss Ambassador, Markus Leitner, encouraged Egypt to look to the plane's technology to help power its own economy.
    "An idea born in Switzerland, an idea that combines innovation, environmental protection and the spirit of pioneering and exploring. Solar impulse is a Swiss aeroplane, that is currently flying around the world powered only by the sun, with no fuel, or polluting emissions. Solar Impulse is a powerful symbol of innovation, an indication, that what we can achieve when we believe in the impossible, an inspiration, to put technical innovation at the heart of economic development," said Leitner.
    On Tuesday (June 2) crowds gathered in Japan's Komaki City to catch a glimpse of the plane.
    The aircraft had cut short the seventh leg of its 35,000-km global (22,000-mile) journey on Monday (June 1), landing at a small airport in Nagoya, western Japan, around midnight.
    Solar Impulse 2, which is powered by more than 17,000 solar cells built into wings, took off from Abu Dhabi in March. The plane which left Nanjing, China, on Sunday (May 31) had been expected to fly over Japan and head across the Pacific Ocean to Hawaii.
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