The West Bakr Wind project, owned by renewable power generation company Lekela Power, will generate 1,000 GWh per year and will increase the country’s installed wind energy capacity by 18 percent. 70 percent of the project construction scope will be delivered by local subcontractors.
The first wind turbines will be delivered in mid-2020 and the project is set to be fully operational in 2021. The Power Purchase Agreement and Network Connection Contract was signed by Lekela with the Egyptian Electricity Transmission Company and the New and Renewable Energy Company Authority earlier this year. The West Bakr Wind project, situated 30 km north-west of Ras el Ghareb, in the Gulf of Suez, will produce over 1,000 GWh per year, powering over 350,000 homes and saving around 550,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions annually.
“Our aim is to support the government to deliver long term and lasting impact for our communities, environmentally, economically and socially” said Alfonso Faubel, SGRE Onshore CEO.
All civil and most electrical and logistical work will be handled by local subcontractors and the majority of the wind turbine towers will be produced in Egypt. In total, 70 percent of the project construction scope will be delivered by local subcontractors, which will also help bolster the local economy.
The project will increase the country’s installed wind energy capacity by 18 percent, up to 1,650 MW, and is part of the Egyptian government’s Build, Own, Operate (BOO) framework. This important project will result in Egypt taking one step closer to diversifying its energy mix with the target of reaching 20 percent of the electricity coming from renewable sources by 2022.
It will also invest in long-term strategies through Lekela’s Community Investment Plan which focuses on enterprise, education and environmental initiatives to redress the socio-economic development challenges faced by the local communities in the country. This includes a programme to ensure all wildlife is protected through the implementation of various mitigation options, including a shutdown on demand programme.
As Africa is slowly tapping into its wind power potential, sustainable and economic development is at the forefront of SGRE’s dedicated efforts to see Egypt’s energy mix diversify. West Bakr Wind will add on to the 8 projects totalling 1,243 MW SGRE has successfully completed in Egypt, ensuring sustainable development in the country.
For additional information:
