The New and Renewable Energy Authority (NREA) has placed a 252MW order with Vestas for the Gulf of Suez 1 wind project in Egypt.
Vestas has developed a solution that comprises the supply and installation of 70 V105-3.45MW wind turbines in the Gulf of Suez in 3.6MW Power Optimised Mode and a three-year Active Output Management 4000 (AOM 4000) service agreement.
This would be capable of maximising the project’s annual energy production, while meeting the local tip-height restriction and the national grid code requirements.
Leveraging Vestas’ experience from more than 4GW of turnkey projects across the globe, Vestas will also manage the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) side of the project, which includes related civil and electrical works and the substation for the connection to the national grid.
Vestas Middle East and North Africa (MENA) general manager Muhamed Bou-Zeid said: “Building on our 40 years of experience and our leadership in the renewable energy sector, we are proud to be back in Egypt and continue our work there to help transform its energy infrastructure into a reliable system of clean power supply.
“Our wide portfolio of solutions and services can help NREA ensure price stability and security of energy supply over time, and in turn, demand less reliance on fossil-fuel based energy sources.”
The project’s annual production is expected to reach 1027GWh of clean energy and according to NREA save around 560,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions annually.
It will be jointly financed by the European Investment Bank, KfW, Agence Française de Développement and the European Commission.
Vestas was one of the first contributors to the development of Egypt’s wind energy infrastructure with the installation of 123 Vestas wind turbines in Hurghada and Zafarana in 2004.
Vestas currently has more than 1.5GW of installed or under construction capacity in the Middle East and North Africa region including Jordan, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco, Senegal, and Cape Verde.
With a growing number of renewable energy projects planned or underway and with ambitious renewable energy targets in nearly all countries, the region is now seen to be a significant and promising player in the global energy transition.
The Gulf of Suez 1 wind project is planned to be fully operational in 2023.