Scatec Solar, a Norwegian solar power developer, has signed agreements for five solar projects totaling 250 MW in Egypt. The projects will be covered by Egypt’s solar FiT program.
“Our international experience has taught us the importance of detailed pre-planning for execution of projects so that we can quickly deliver much-needed electricity, once the authorities have issued all the agreements and permits,” explained Raymond Carlsen, chief executive of Scatec Solar.
Some preparatory work like land and geotechnical studies has already been completed. Potential impacts on social life and the environment are under way.
Egypt wants to add about 6 GW of solar over the next seven years, and 2 GW of that could be installed in the next two years. We just reported about 300 MW of PV solar development taking place in Egypt, courtesy of Sterling and Wilson.
550 MW is a lot of solar development — especially in a short period of time — but Egypt has bigger plans. It would be fascinating to find out if the Egypt FiT program has been influenced in any way by how Germany’s has played out. Germany has clearly been a world leader in both wind and solar power and something of an example to the world of a country that historically has been too reliant on nuclear power and coal which also has been aggressively developing more clean energy sources.
Scatec Solar was just given an award for helping bring clean energy to more people, “Scatec Solar shows that the green shift is all about expertise and technology, but not least that wonderful solutions are worth little if they cannot find their place and be used. The Climate Award makes me a great optimist on behalf of Norway in the green race,” explained Kristin Skogen Lund, CEO of the NHO.
Scatec also has done solar work in the Czech Republic, Rwanda, South Africa and the United States.
Image Credit: Luc Legay, Wiki Commons
