A consortium of Egyptian private sector utility provider TAQA Arabia and French renewable energy developer Voltalia has signed a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Egyptian Electricity Transmission Company (EETC) and the New and Renewable Energy Authority (NREA) to study a 3.2 gigawatt (GW) capacity wind/solar hybrid power plant in Suez Governorate to repower the existing 545 megawatt (MW) Zafarana wind farm.

The proposed project will combine 1.1 GW of wind power with 2.1 GW of solar power, making it the first project in Egypt to merge both renewable energy sources, according to a joint press statement.

The study, scheduled for completion by December 2025, will examine wind speed and direction measurements, bird migration patterns, solar irradiation levels, and geotechnical, topographic, and environmental evaluations.

Zafarana wind farm was constructed by the Egyptian government in phases from 2001-2010 with many turbines nearing the end of their service life.  

A statement issued by Voltalia on Thursday said the two partners have worked on a hybrid renewable energy solution which maximises land utilisation on plots 5-8 of Zafarana, harnessing both wind and photovoltaic technologies totaling up to 3GW capacity, with an expected first commissioning in 2028.

(Writing by P Deol; Editing by Anoop Menon)

(anoop.menon@lseg.com)

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