The government of Japan has offered Egypt an $88.8-million loan to support construction of a solar power plant with a large-capacity storage battery system. The loan is a strategic move by Japan to place its firms solidly in expanding renewable energy markets in the MENA region.
Egypt’s President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi will be making his first visit to Japan from February 28 to March 2, during which a written agreement on the project is expected to be signed.
Egypt is expected to hold a public tender open only to Japanese companies with advanced battery technology. The plan is to build a 20-MW solar power plant with a 30-MW capacity storage facility in Hurghada. The plant is to be completed by 2019.