Egypt set for 1.1 GWh of battery storage across three projects

Amea Power, based in Dubai, is developing two large-scale renewable projects in Egypt after securing two PPAs with Egyptian Electricity Transmission Co.

The first project involves a 1 GW solar plant with a 600 MWh BESS in the Benban area. The second project is a 300 MWh BESS at the site of Amea Power’s 500 MW Abydos solar array, which is currently under construction. Both projects are in Egypt’s Aswan governorate.

Amea Power said the Benban site will be the largest solar-plus-BESS project in Africa, while the Abydos project will represent the first ever utility-scale BESS solution in Egypt. The company is investing $800 million across both projects, which are expected to provide energy to more than 769,000 homes.

“These projects are not just about generating power, they are catalysts for economic growth, job creation, and community empowerment,” said Amea Power Chairman Hussain Al Nowais.

The latest announcements bring Amea Power’s total renewables capacity in Egypt to 2 GW of solar and 900 MWh of BESS. The company claims to have projects in 20 countries, with a pipeline above 6 GW and 1.6 GW currently in operation and under or near construction.

In a separate announcement, Norway’s Scatec said it had signed a 25-year PPA with Egyptian Electricity Transmission Co. (EETC) for a 1 GW solar and 100 MW/200 MWh battery storage hybrid project in Egypt.

“This will be the first hybrid solar and battery project in Egypt,” said Scatec CEO Terje Pilskog. “We will now finalize land lease agreements, grid connection agreements and financing, and prepare for construction of the project.” 

Scatec said it has signed a mandate letter with several development financing institutions for concessional financing. The company expects to reach financial close with the lenders and start construction of the project in the first half of 2025.

Under the terms of the agreement with state-owned EETC, Scatec will be responsible for engineering, procurement & construction, asset management and operations and maintenance services for the project.

Scatec claims to have a portfolio totaling 4.7 GW of renewable energy plants in operation and under construction across four continents. In August, the company sold stakes in solar plants in Rwanda and South Africa, which it said would help finance further growth opportunities.

Earlier this year, state-owned utility Egyptian Electricity Holding Co. held an expressions-of-interest tender for the design, construction and operation of a 8.2 MW solar plant and 2 MW/4MWh battery energy storage system, which would be built at the site of an existing microgrid in western Egypt.