Global Power Moves: Wind Farms in Egypt, Energy Progress in Iraq, and Clean Collaboration Across Continents

UAE’s Masdar; African renewable energy developer, Infinity Power; and Egypt’s Hassan Allam Utilities have signed a land access agreement with the Egyptian government for development of a 10GW wind farm in the western governorate of Suhag.?

Set to be one of the largest onshore arrays in the world, spanning an area of over 3,000 square kilometres, the farm is expected to generate 47,790 GWh of clean energy per year. This will support Egypt’s ambition of reducing carbon dioxide emissions by around nine per cent per annum through displacement of? 23.8 million tonnes of CO2 each year.?

The next phase will be initiation of a number of key development studies, including measurement campaigns, geotechnical and topographic surveys, and requisite environmental studies with findings informing construction.?

The signing was conducted in the presence of HE Moustafa Madbouly, Prime Minister of Egypt, and HE Dr Mohamed Shaker, the country’s Minister of Electricity and Renewable Energy. It represents the next phase of the development following signing of the initial project agreement on the sidelines of COP27 in 2022.?

Commenting on the agreement, Amr Allam, Co-CEO of Hassan Allam Holding, said:?"In a significant move towards a more sustainable future for Egypt, the signing marks a pivotal moment. This initiative underscores our commitment to clean energy and environmental responsibility, and we are proud to be part of this transformative project that will have a positive impact on our nation's energy landscape and beyond."?

The Iraqi Government has shared updates on several key energy sector projects including confirmation that the under-development GCC-Iraq Electric Interconnection project will be completed by the end of 2024, according to the country’s Ministry of Electricity. The project is expected to provide around 500 MWh of electric power to help meet burgeoning demand in southern Iraq with potential to increase to up to 2,000 megawatts during summer.?

Plans to build the country’s first utility-scale solar plant have also been reprised. The one-gigawatt Ratawi plant, located in southern Iraq, will be built by France’s TotalEnergies as part of a US$27 billion integrated project that includes four oil and gas, and renewables facilities.??

A duo of key contracts have been signed with Iraq’s Ministry of Electricity: a land lease deal plus an agreement for plant connection to the national grid, construction of a 180-kilometre-long overhead transmission line, and substation. To be developed in four phases, the plant is expected to be completed by 2025. Once fully completed, it is expected to supply enough clean electricity to power 350,000 homes.?

Developments in the oil and gas sector also saw the recent announcement by Iraq’s oil ministry of the results of the country’s sixth energy bidding round, with Chinese companies winning 10 of the 29 oil and gas field projects over the three-day auction with 13 projects awarded overall.?

In the second of our four-part Africa focus series, we take a deep dive into the transformational impact of a reliable electricity supply on healthcare, education, and the broader economy.?

In recent years, off-grid renewable energy solutions have helped to positively influence socio-economic outcomes with deployment of modular solutions that are easily scalable and suitable for remote areas.Governments across the region are also integrating social benefits-led components into their off-grid electrification programmes.??

In Sierra Leone, for example, the Rural Renewable Energy Project (RREP), which is supported by the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS), provides community mini grids to electrify households, schools and health centres. This has led to significant increase in student examinations attendance with connected clinics similarly benefiting by being able to operate at night and provide essential emergency services.?

The adoption of innovative financing models such as results-based financing has also bolstered social impact through the vital provision of subsidies to relevant projects. Impact investing has also helped accelerate the deployment of clean energy solutions with social and environmental benefits; effectively mobilising capital for projects largely considered investment ineligible.?

The combination of intentional government support and the adoption of innovative financing structures have made it possible to leverage private capital to deploy projects that positively compound the social benefits of electrification across the continent.??

Abu Dhabi-headquartered clean energy company Masdar has signed an agreement with Bahrain national energy company Bapco Energies to explore near- and offshore wind farm projects under a joint investment and development partnership.?

The agreement marks Masdar’s strategic entry into the neighbouring Gulf state and will support delivery of up to 2GW of wind power capacity in alignment with Bahrain’s National Energy Strategy target to cut emissions by 30 per cent by 2035.?

In addition to the promise of accelerating decarbonisation of key industrial sectors, the partnership includes potential development of new market sectors as the Kingdom looks to its longer-term goal of achieving net-zero emissions by 2060.?

Commenting on the announcement, Mohamed Jameel Al Ramahi, Chief Executive Office, Masdar, said: “As a global clean energy pioneer, Masdar will utilise its well-established expertise and track record in delivering wind energy projects globally, both onshore and offshore.”?

Bapco Energies Group Chief Executive Officer, Mark Thomas, noted: “This strategic collaboration signifies a bold step towards realising the ambitions outlined in Bahrain’s National Energy Strategy, propelling us closer to our net-zero goals. Together, we will pave the way for a more sustainable and resilient future for generations to come.”?

The latest agreement follows the December 2023 signing of an agreement with Mumtalakat, the Kingdom’s sovereign wealth fund, to explore collaboration opportunities in the development of clean and renewable energy projects for Bahrain.?

The two countries have signed an MoU that aims to promote the exchange of expertise and explore partnership opportunities in the fields of electricity, renewable energy and clean hydrogen.?

According to the Saudi Press Agency, the agreement will include opportunities in?solar, wind, waste-to-energy, and geothermal energy with the development and enhancement of the national grid, to improve reliability and security, a key focus.?

The development and implementation of cleaner fossil-fuel technologies through adoption of best available solutions and practices, will be a catalyst for positive environmental impact. This will include rollout of carbon capture, utilisation, and storage (CCUS) technologies along with measures to improve energy production and consumption efficiency.?

In a November 2023-released report entitled Renewable Energy Opportunities for Mauritania, the International Energy Agency (IEA) observed strong potential for accelerating sustainable development through clean energy investments.?

The report highlighted the country’s high-quality wind and solar resources as a valuable catalyst for sustainable development and economic growth potential with scaled deployment critical for generation of low-cost renewable electricity and hydrogen through electrolysis.?