German Siemens company and the Egyptian government reached firm agreements on Saturday to build a 4.4 GW combined-cycle power plant and install wind power capacity of 2 GW.
Joe Kaeser, the President and Chief Executive Officer of Siemens AG, told MENA that Siemens will build a factory in Egypt to manufacture rotor blades for wind turbines, creating up to 1,000 jobs and therefore nearly tripling Siemens' footprint in the country.
Including two further Memorandums of Understanding (MoU) which were signed at the Egypt Economic Development Conference (EEDC) in Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt's power generation's capacity will be massively increased by up to one third mostly by 2020, he said.
Under the agreements, Siemens will propose to build additional combined cycle power plants with a capacity of up to 6.6 GW and 10 substations for reliable power supply.
The agreements were signed at the Egypt Economic Development Conference in Sharm el Sheikh in the presence of Egypt's Minister of Electricity Shaker al Markabi, Germany's Vice Chancellor Sigmar Gabriel, and Joe Kaeser, President and Chief Executive Officer of Siemens AG.
"Egypt needs a powerful and reliable energy system to support its long-term, sustainable economic development, and experienced partners who understand the specific challenges facing the country", said Kaeser.
"Siemens' technology and expertise has been supporting Egypt's growth for more than 150 years, and our track record shows that we deliver what we promise - also in challenging times. We are part of Egypt's society and proud to shape Egypt's future together. We have also agreed to continue the well established practice of dual-education apprenticeships, a success-story between Germany and Egypt for decades."
According to the agreement, Siemens will be the contractor responsible for engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) for the Beni Suef power plant in Upper Egypt, and will work together with local partners.
The 4.4 GW power plant will be built in four modules, each consisting of two H-class gas turbines, two heat recovery steam generators, one steam turbine, and three generators. Siemens H Class technology is matching Egypt's requirements, combining high output with record-breaking levels of efficiency.
"Wind power is clean and renewable, and will strengthen Egypt's energy security at this important point in its history. Adding two gigawatt will be a significant step towards diversifying the country's energy mix", said Markus Tacke, the CEO Siemens Wind Power and Renewables Division.
"Egypt has great potential for wind power generation, especially in the Gulf of Suez and the Nile Valley", Tacke added. "We are proud to be working with the government and people of Egypt to tap this potential."
The Egyptian government plans to expand wind capacity over the coming years as part of a plan to increase wind generation to 7.2 GW by 2020.
Siemens has been working in Egypt since 1859, and has maintained a continuous presence in the country since opening its first office in Cairo in 1901. The company's technology has been implemented in the Nubaria, Talkha, Damietta, Midelec and El Kureimat power plants, and Siemens is also a key technology supplier to major projects in the transport, healthcare and industrial sectors. Siemens has been a reliable and trusted partner throughout more than 100 years in Egypt.