Project Overview 

The Benban Solar Park project is a 1.8 GW complex constructed using 41 individual photovoltaic (PV) electricity-generating facilities across 37.2 square kilometers near the village of Benban in the Aswan Governorate, Upper Egypt. The total project cost is USD 4 Billion. The New and Renewable Energy Authority (NREA) owns this largest solar park. It provides limited basic infrastructure, including two access roads connecting the site to the nearby highway and an internal network within the Benban PV site. 

NREA is constructing four electricity substations to connect the individual PV facilities. These substations will then link to a 220 kV High Voltage Overhead Line located about 12 kilometers from the site, with a potential future connection to a 500 kV line nearby.

The Benban Solar Park was built as part of Egypt’s Nubian Suns Renewable Energy Feed-in Tariff (FiT) programme, announced in September 2014. This renewable energy project is initiated in line with the Egyptian government’s Sustainable Energy Strategy 2035, which aims to produce 20% of electricity from renewable sources. The Benban Solar Park makes more than 4 TWh of power, saving about 2 Million metric tons of CO2 emissions annually.

Project Background

The Benban Solar Park was built as an initiative of Egypt’s Nubian Suns Renewable Energy Feed-in Tariff (FiT) programme, announced in September 2014. The electricity generated from the plant will be sold to the Egyptian Electricity Transmission Co. (EETC) under a 25-year power purchase agreement (PPA). The operations of the 41 Benban Projects required the construction of four electricity substations, a control center on-site, and a connection to the electricity grid. Additionally, a potential project involved water from the River Nile, a pipeline to the Benban PV site, and other services.

Project Scope

Benban Solar Park is home to several significant solar power projects, with Infinity 50 being the largest at 64.1MW. A consortium of Infinity Solar, ib vogt, and Solizer develops this plant. Additionally, SP Energy and Horus Solar Energy are each developing 50MW plants with investments of USD 7 Million and USD 15.75 Million, respectively. Scatec Solar is also contributing six solar PV power plants with a combined capacity of 390 MW, while the Infinity 50 consortium and Phoenix Solar are jointly developing projects with a total capacity of 166.5MW and an investment of USD 190 Million.

Other notable projects include the 50 MW Al Subh plant by Acciona Energía and KCC Corporation, the 50 MW Taqa Arabia Solar plant, and the 30 MW SECI Benban 3 Winnergy plant by a consortium of Al Tawakol Electrical, Enerray, Desert Technologies, and Spectrum. Delta for Renewable Energy is developing a 50 MW plant, with ARC for Renewable Energy, Arinna Solar Power, Alcazar Energy Partners, and Swicorp also contributing various projects. The Alcazar Energy Egypt Solar initiative includes multiple 50 MW plants developed by Alcazar Energy Partners, Acciona Benban, Acciona Energia, and Swicorp.

Project Location

The Benban Solar Complex is located in the Western Desert, approximately 650 km south of Cairo and 40 km northwest of the Aswan city within the Aswan Governorate. It is 15 km west of River Nile and 1 km from the Aswan-Luxor Highway. 

Benban Solar Park Coordinates

Source: Eib.org

Project Cost

Egypt's Benban Solar Park project cost is estimated at USD 4 Billion. It received funding from several investors, including the Africa Development Bank, the Europe Arab Bank, the Green for Growth Fund, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), and many more.

Technical Specifications

The Benban project has four advanced high-voltage substations developed by the NREA and the Egyptian Electricity Transmission Company (EETC). Of these four, three substations will each occupy over 15,000 square meters and be equipped with 175 MVA transformers and 22/220 kV switchgears. The fourth and larger substation, covering 50,000 square meters, includes 175 MVA and 22/220 MVA transformers and 22/220/500 kV GIS switchgear. The Egyptian Electricity Holding Company (EEHC) handles its electrical supply system.

220kV line built by EETC Source: Eib.org

Electricity generated at the solar park will be transmitted to the substations via a new 220 kV line constructed by EETC and then integrated into the national electricity network. The Egypt government makes initiatives to build an additional 180 km double-circuit 500 kV transmission line in the future. The electricity produced from this largest solar power plant will be sold to EETC under 25-year power purchase agreements, ensuring it is one of Egypt's renewable energy sources.

500 kV line built by EETC Source: Eib.org

Contractors

As a part of the Benban Solar farm, local developers have built other small-scale projects, bringing the total installed capacity to 1.8 GW.

Investors 

Several local investors have invested in other small-scale projects as a part of the Benban Solar Park, bringing the total project cost to USD 4 Billion.

Benefits of this project

The Benban Solar Park project in Egypt offers several benefits, as listed:

Clean Energy Generation: The Benban solar power plant has an energy production capacity of 1.8 GW of clean and sustainable electricity for 600,000 households, thus meeting the nation's growing energy demands.

Reduction of Carbon Emissions: The Benban solar project is crucial to mitigating climate change and improving air quality by reducing carbon emissions by two million metric tons annually.

 Job Creation: This project created at least 20,000 jobs during construction, stimulating economic growth and providing employment opportunities for local communities. Additionally, the park operation creates an additional 6,000 permanent positions, further contributing to job stability and economic development.

Conclusion 

Benban Solar PV Park in Egypt, with a total investment of USD 4 Billion, stands as one of the world's largest solar installations, significantly contributing to the country's sustainable development goals. By aiming to increase its renewable energy share to 42% by 2035, Egypt is reducing its carbon footprint by reducing its dependence on fossil fuels and setting a precedent for other nations to follow suit. Thus reducing two million tonnes of carbon emissions annually.

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