ACWA Power, a leading Saudi developer, investor and operator of power generation, desalinated water and green hydrogen plants worldwide, today inked a project agreement to develop a 1.1GW wind project in Egypt, at an investment value of $1.5 billion.

The signing ceremony of the agreement took place at the headquarters of the Egyptian General Authority for Investment and Free Zones, Cairo, in the presence of Dr. Mohamed Shaker El-Markabi, Egypt’s Ministry of Electricity and Renewable Energy.

Dr. Majid Bin Abdullah Alkassabi, Saudi’s Minister of Commerce; Dr. Issam bin Saad bin Saeed, Minister of State and Cabinet member for Shoura Council affairs; Dr. Hala Al Said, Egypt’s Minister of Planning and Economic Development were also present.

The ACWA Power-led consortium, comprising Hassan Allam Holding, will work together during the development phase to complete the site studies and secure the financing of this facility.

Located in the Gulf of Suez and Gabal el Zeit area, this wind project is the largest single contracted wind farm in the Middle East region and one of the largest onshore wind farms in the world.

The project will be designed to use state-of-art wind turbines with blade heights of up to 220 metres, which helps in achieving the best use of the designated land plots in the most efficient way.

When complete, the project will mitigate the impact of 2.4 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions per year and provide electricity to 1,080,000 households.

Dr. Mohamed Shaker El-Markabi, Egypt’s Ministry of Electricity and Renewable Energy said: "This project falls within the framework of the Egyptian government’s strategy to diversify its energy sources and leverage the country’s rich natural resources, especially in renewable energy.

"The Ministry of Electricity and Renewable Energy is taking concrete actions to ensure the resilience of our energy strategy, because of the escalating changes that the world is witnessing, which aim to increase the contribution of renewable energy to up to 42% by 2035."

The 1.1GW wind project confirms Egypt’s commitment in spearheading the use of renewable energy sources to reduce the impact of carbon emissions produced by conventional energy sources, as Egypt gears up to host the COP 27 in November 2022, he added.

Mohammad Abunayyan, ACWA Power Chairman said: "We are honoured to contribute to the strengthening ties of Saudi Arabia, our home, and Egypt via this milestone wind project, and extend our sincerest gratitude to the leaders of both countries."

"With sustainable development at the top of the agenda for both states, progress cannot be made without concerted efforts in expanding infrastructure that is underpinned by renewables,” he added.

Dalia Wahba, Deputy CEO and Chief Investment Officer of Hassan Allam Utilities said: "Egypt has embarked on a serious economic reform programme sending a clear invitation to the private sector to support in building a greener and brighter future.

"As a group, Hassan Allam Holding is committed to be a positive contributor to the environment. We are adopting sustainability principles and expanding our investments into large scale green energy projects."

Hassan Allam Utilities, the investment and development arm for Hassan Allam Holding, currently operates a 50 MW solar plant in Benban solar park cementing its position as one of Egypt's leading green energy producers.

This is ACWA Power’s third project—and first wind farm—in Egypt, after the 120MW Ben Ban solar independent power projects in the Aswan region and the 200MW Kom Ombo solar plant.

The 1.1GW wind project is forecasted to reach financial close by the third quarter of 2024. The plant will be commercially operational by the end of 2026.