Solar advances across MENA region
The fossil fuel rich Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region faces mounting pressure to diversify its energy mix. While solar is cheap, it faces significant sociopolitical and economic challenges.
Amea Power commissions 500 MW solar plant in Egypt
Amea Power has held an inauguration ceremony for a 500 MW solar installation in southern Egypt. The project, completed in 18 months, is the largest of its kind in the country.
Self-powering greenhouse based on PV, BESS, hydrogen
Scientists have designed a greenhouse system that involves a battery energy storage system, hydrogen production and storage, as well as a semi-transparent PV array. The system was optimized for maximal net present value and minimal dependency on the grid.
Norwegian platform invests $50 million in Egyptian renewables
Empower New Energy, a Norwegian solar investment platform, has signed a $50 million agreement with Egyptian independent power producer Engazaat to fund a renewable energy project portfolio in Egypt.
Combining floating PV with compressed air energy storage
Researchers from Egypt and the UK developed a new floating PV system concept that utilizes compressed air for energy storage. The system has a roundtrip efficiency of 34.1% and an exergy efficiency of 41%.
Bringing clean African electrons to Europe
A raft of ambitious interconnection projects has been announced to bring African electrons to European shores. While there are financial and supply chain challenges to overcome, the renewables potential on offer across North Africa is exciting investors.
The Hydrogen Stream: BMW, Exolum bet on H2 logistics
BMW Group says it will switch its Regensburg plant logistics to hydrogen by 2026, replacing electric vehicles with hydrogen-powered forklifts and tugger trains, while Exolum has launched a new business line to offer integrated logistics solutions across the hydrogen value chain
African solar looks beyond donor nations for investment
Multilateral organizations the World Bank and African Development Bank (AfDB) have played a key role in the development of African solar and want to attract more private capital to a continent with at least 40% of the world’s solar irradiation but currently only 1% of its PV generation capacity.
JA Solar plans 2 GW solar cell, module factory in Egypt
Chinese manufacturer JA Solar has agreed to build a 2 GW solar cell and module factory in Egypt with support from UAE-based Global South Utilities.
Voltalia, Taqa Arabia to develop Egyptian 3 GW wind-solar facility
French developer Voltalia and Egyptian energy distribution company Taqa Arabia have signed a memorandum of understanding to turn an existing 545 MW wind farm into a 3 GW hybrid wind-solar site.
