An ageing 545MW wind farm in Egypt is to be reborn as a 3GW PV and wind hybrid facility under a provisional repowering plan agreed last week.
French firm Voltalia and engineering firm Taqa Arabia have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Egyptian government to repower the Zafarana wind farms as they reach the end of their operational life.
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Built over 20 years ago in eight phases, the 545MW Zafarana project was the first of its kind in the Middle East and North Africa region. The site is located in Egypt’s Suez District, 130km south-east of Cairo, and boasts strong wind and solar resources.
The repowering strategy agreed last week proposes combining 2.1GW of solar and 1.1GW of wind power in what would be Egypt’s first project to merge both renewable energy sources.
TAQA Arabia and Voltalia will begin by conducting preliminary technical and environmental measurements and studies for the project. These will include wind speed and direction measurements, bird migration patterns, solar irradiation levels and geotechnical, topographic and environmental evaluations.
If successful, the first commissioning of the hybrid project is slated for 2028, helping Egypt in its efforts to reduce dependence on conventional power.
Sébastien Clerc, CEO of Voltalia said: “Signing this agreement is a crucial step towards supporting Egypt’s ambitious renewable energy goals, and we are honoured to work on this landmark project. Our presence in Egypt, thanks to our operating project within the Benban solar cluster, and our experience with hybrid wind-and-solar projects, such as in our Serra Branca cluster in Brazil, enables us to build upon Zafarana’s legacy with confidence to bring more clean energy to the Egyptian grid.”
Pakinam Kafafi, CEO of TAQA Arabia, added: “We are conducting pivotal studies in one of Egypt’s most promising regions for solar and wind power, laying the groundwork for transformative energy solutions. Our ongoing partnership with Voltalia is a testament to our shared ambitions, and we look forward to expanding this fruitful collaboration.”
Voltalia and TAQA Arabia have been in a strategic partnership in Egypt since 2022, when the pair announced an MOU to build 2.7GW of green hydrogen projects in the country.
They followed this with a further announcement over the summer of a framework agreement to build 2.5GW of renewables to support green hydrogen.
