COP27: UAE, Egypt sign agreement to develop one of world's largest onshore wind projects

President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and President Abdel Fattah El Sisi of Egypt witnessed the signing of an agreement between Masdar along with Infinity, and Hassan Allam Utilities, to develop a 10-gigawatts (GW) onshore wind project in Egypt – one of the largest wind farms in the world.

The Memorandum of Understanding was signed Dr. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, UAE Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology, UAE Special Envoy for Climate, and Chairman of Masdar, and Sabah Meshaly, chairwoman of the Egyptian Electricity Transmission Company (EETC), on the sidelines of the 2022 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP27) in Sharm El-Sheikh.

Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Presidential Court; Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation; Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan; Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamad bin Tahnoun Al Nahyan, Advisor for Special Affairs at the Ministry of Presidential Court, along with a number of senior officials were also present during the signing.

Dr. Al Jaber said, "The scale of this mega 10 GW onshore wind project is a testament to the renewable energy ambitions of the UAE and Egypt, and demonstrates Masdar's status as a global leader in clean energy.

"The UAE and Masdar will continue to support Egypt's net-zero goals, and we will endeavour to take forward the gains made here at COP27, as the UAE prepares to host COP28 next year."

When completed, the 10 GW wind farm will produce 47,790 GWh of clean energy annually and offset 23.8 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions – equivalent to around 9 per cent of Egypt's current CO2 emissions.

The project will be part of Egypt's Green Corridor initiative – a grid dedicated to renewable energy projects – and will contribute to Egypt's goal of ensuring renewable energy makes up 42 per cent of its energy mix by 2035.

The wind farm will also save Egypt an estimated $5 billion in annual natural gas costs, and help create as many as 100,000 jobs. Direct employment in the construction phase is estimated at around 30,000, with as many as 70,000 people being employed indirectly. After construction, around 3,200 jobs will be added for operation and maintenance.

Mohamed Jameel Al Ramahi, Chief Executive Officer of Masdar, said, "We are confident this project will help provide clean and sustainable energy to Egypt's people while ensuring the country meets its decarbonisation commitments."

Mohamed Ismail Mansour, Chairman - Infinity Power, said, "The project will enable the country to save vast amounts of natural gas; thereby attaining economic growth, reduce carbon emissions and provide greater access to sustainable energy sources, enabling Egypt to move forward in its journey towards becoming a green economy."