Ras Ghareb, Egypt’s largest operating wind energy farm to date and Its first independent power producer (IPP) project, is designed to be tough on carbon, but kind to birds.

The project has an installed capacity of 262 MW generated by 125 onshore wind turbines built on a coastal site on the Gulf of Suez where winds are strong and constant.

The build-own-operate project will meet Egypt’s growing power needs, boost nearby industry growth and help attain a new national goal for 42% of its energy from renewable sources by 2030. The project team says output of Ras Ghareb, which was completed in October 2021, will reduce carbon emissions in Egypt by about 600,000 tons per year. 

With the project located in a Europe-to-Africa bird migration zone, radar monitors avian flocks 10 kilometers away from turbines, and transmission lines to a substation include bird diverters.

The team, led by project contractor Orascom Construction and including turbine installation subcontractor Siemens Gamesa, finished construction about two months ahead of schedule, despite late customs clearance for materials shipments and “a challenging contractual construction period of 24 months,” Orascom said.

The team also prepared roads to access the large and remote site, sponsored nearby community renovation projects and offered student scholarships. “Great quality construction is a team effort,” the submission said. 

Orascom, which has a 20% stake in the owner consortium, announced on Nov. 9 that the group broke ground on Oct. 31 for a new 500-MW wind farm about 40 km from Ras Ghareb and also reached agreement with Egyptian energy officials to build, own and operate a 3-GW project in the same area. No cost or schedule details were disclosed.

“We are proud to have set the stage for the development and transformation of Egypt’s renewable energy sector,” said Orascom CEO Osama Bishai.