A consortium of Orascom Construction, Japan’s Toyota Tsusho Corp (TYO:8015) and Engie (EPA:ENGI) has secured land for a planned 3-GW wind energy project in Egypt’s West Sohag region.
The deal for the allocation of land was signed by the New and Renewable Energy Authority (NREA) on behalf of the Ministry of Electricity and Renewable Energy, and the consortium, NREA said on Wednesday. The signing was attended by prime minister Mostafa Madbouly.
The planned wind farm will be built on an area of 852 square kilometres (329 square miles) in the West Sohag region. When operational, it is expected to generate enough electricity to supply about two million local homes and offset 6.5 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions annually.
The project will create about 7,000 direct and indirect jobs during the construction phase and some 1,000 permanent jobs after commissioning.
The allocation of land follows a memorandum of understanding between the three companies and the Egyptian government that was signed during the COP 27 summit in Sharm El-Sheikh last November.
The alliance of companies has already participated in wind projects in the North African country — it is involved in the development of the 262.5-MW Ras Ghareb wind farm near the Gulf of Suez and began the construction of a 500-MW wind park in Gabal El-Zeit in the Red Sea Governorate last autumn.
