The New and Renewable Energy Authority (NREA) has awarded Vestas Wind Systems A/S the contract for the construction of its Gulf of Suez 1 wind farm. The Danish wind turbine manufacturer has signed the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract for the facility, which will be located in the Gulf of Suez, a location where many wind projects in Egypt are currently concentrated.
The Gulf of Suez 1 wind farm will consist of 70 turbines of 3.6 MW each. Vestas has chosen to install its V105-3.45 MW turbines there. The company will also carry out the civil and electrical engineering works, as well as the substation to connect the wind farm to the national grid. The works, which will begin soon, will be completed in 2023.
Vestas has also signed an agreement with NREA to operate the Gulf of Suez 1 wind farm for 3 years. The company, which employs more than 16,000 people, plans to bring its Active Generation Management 4000 (AOM 4000) system, “capable of maximising annual electricity production, while meeting (…) the requirements of the (Egyptian) National Grid Code,” says Vestas.
According to NREA, the Gulf of Suez 1 wind farm will produce 1027 GWh of clean energy per year. It is also expected to avoid the emission of 560,000 tonnes of CO2 per year. The project has already received promises of funding from several financial institutions, including the Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau (KfW), the German development agency, the European Investment Bank (EIB) and the French Development Agency (AFD).
Jean Marie Takouleu