We have plenty of news on the energy front, including major updates on wind and solar projects as well as the passage of another regulatory milestone for the Dabaa nuclear power plant.

The future Sohag wind hub just got bigger: An Orascom Construction-led consortium has signed a land allocation agreement with the Electricity Ministry for its planned 3-G W wind fa rm, cabinet said in a stateme nt yesterday. The consortium — which comprises France’s Engie and Japan’s Toyota Tsusho Corporation alongside Orascom — has been allocated a 852 sq-km plot in Sohag, according to the statement.

What we know: The group will build the 3 GW wind farm under a build-own-operate structure over six phases, and it is set to be fully operational by the end of 2028. The first phase of the project will see the consortium bring 500 MW of wind energy online by 1Q 2026, and the second phase will add on an additional 500 MW by the end of 4Q 2026. A third phase will bring online another 500 MW by 1H 2027, with an additional 500 MW will be operational by 1Q 2028. The consortium is expected to bring the final 1 GW of the project online over two phases by the end of 4Q 2028.

That makes it 28 GW for Sohag: Both the Masdar-Infinity-Hassan Allam consortium and Acwa Power have secured land in the governorate for their respective 10-GW wind projects, as has Scatec for its 5-GW facility.

That’s not all: Ministers approved a proposal by the consortium to establish new renewable energy projects with 150-200 MW of capacity, cabinet said yesterday, without providing further details.

ACWA SECURES FINANCE FOR SOLAR PLANT-

A financial close for Acwa’s Kom Ombo solar plant: Acwa Power has achieved financial close for its 200 MW solar project in Kom Ombo, the largest privately-owned solar plant in the country, it said in a statemen t yesterday.

Where the money’s coming from:

  • Long-term loans from multilateral lenders: The Saudi company has borrowed USD 123 mn from a number of multilateral lenders, including the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), OPEC Fund for International Development, the African Development Bank, the Green Climate Fund, the Sustainable Energy Fund for Africa, and the Arab Bank.
  • Equity bridge loans: The company has taken out USD 59 mn in equity bridge loans from Apicorp (USD 45 mn) and the EBRD (USD 14 mn).

About the project: The utility-scale plant will be located next to Africa’s biggest solar park, the 1.4 GW Benban complex, in which Acwa is also taking part. It will provide power to 130,000 households when it begins commercial operations in January 2024.

DABAA PHASE 4-

Fourth Dabaa reactor approved: The Egyptian Nuclear and Radiological Regulatory Authority (ENRRA) has given the all-clear to Rosatom and co. to proceed with the construction of the fourth 1.2-GW reactor at the Dabaa nuclear plant, according to a cabinet statement out yesterday. The authority said it had confirmed the safety of the unit and that it would not pose any risks to humans or the environment.

Remember: The Russian state nuclear firm received approval from regulators to start construction of the 4.8-GW nuclear plant in June last year. Permissions to build the second and third units were given last October and in March. Construction on the second reactor started in November and the third reactor in May.

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