Egypt’s grid boosted as UAE’s AMEA Power switches on 500MW solar plant

500 megawatts has been added to Egypt’s national grid after a $500m solar power plant, developed by Dubai-based AMEA Power, was inaugurated in the southern city of Aswan on Saturday.

The Abydos Solar PV Plant was completed in 18 months and will generate 1,500 gigawatt-hours of clean energy annually.

That’s enough to power 300,000 households and offset 782,300 tonnes of CO2 emissions, AMEA Power said. Around 3,000 workers helped build the project.

Prime Minister Moustafa Madbouly, speaking at the inauguration ceremony, hailed the new solar plant as a “pivotal step” in Egypt’s renewable energy push, noting that it aligns with a national strategy to reduce dependence on traditional power sources.

AMEA Power Chairman Hussain Al Nowais said the UAE-backed project is a significant milestone in Egypt’s green energy ambitions.

“The solar power plant is a significant step in Egypt’s renewable energy strategy, supporting the goal of achieving 42 per cent of energy generation from renewables by 2030,” Al Nowais said.

The project was funded by the International Finance Corporation, the Dutch Entrepreneurial Development Bank, and the Japan International Cooperation Agency.

Aswan, already home to the 1,650-megawatt Benban Solar Park, is strategically positioned for solar power due to its high year-round solar radiation. The city is located on the banks of the Nile River, near the northern end of Lake Nasser.

AMEA Power’s additional projects in Egypt

AMEA Power, which was founded in 2016, is one of the fastest growing renewable energy companies in the region with a clean energy pipeline of over 6GW across 20 countries.

In September 2024, AMEA Power was awarded two additional renewable energy projects in Egypt. The first, a 1000 megawatt solar plant with a 600MWh battery energy storage system (BESS), will be the largest project of its kind in Africa, once commissioned.

The second, a 300MWh BESS, is set to be an extension of the company’s existing 500MW Abydos solar PV plant. The project will pioneer the use of a utility-scale BESS solution in Egypt, according to AMEA Power.

AMEA Power is also helping to build a 500 megawatt wind farm located in Ras Ghareb. This project is under construction and expected to become operational in the first quarter of 2025.