The largest wind farm in Africa has been inaugurated in the Egypt's Gabal el-Zayt. The wind farm, which cost 340 million euros, was financed by the European Union and Germany's Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau.
The wind farm is set to generate 800 million kW hours annually, providing power to approximately 50,000 people and helping prevent the emission of up to 400,000 tons of carbon dioxide annually.
The wind farm is expected to increase the country's wind capacity by 35 percent, to a total of 750 MW.
James Moran, the European Union's ambassador in Egypt, inaugurated the farm alongside Mohammed Shaker, Egyptian electricity minister. Africa Review quoted Shaker as saying, “the wind farm in the Gulf of El-Zayt is a leading source of renewable energy that will help bolster Egypt’s economy, create jobs and reduce pollution from greenhouse gases.”
The wind farm is the latest attempt by the Egyptian government to harvest clean energy and control fuel shortages.