The $4 billion Benban Solar Park in Egypt, the world's largest solar installation, is still set to begin full operations in 2019.
Benban Solar Park is a photovoltaic power station with a planned total capacity of 1,650 MegaWatt peak (MWp), which is equivalent to an annual production of 3.8 trillion terawatt hours (TWh). The plant is located close to the village of Benban (Aswan Governorate) in the Western Desert, some 650 km south of Cairo and 40 km northwest of Aswan. Benban Solar Park covers an area of 37.2 km2.
It will ultimately consist of 32 solar plants in 41 projects connected to a high voltage network through four new substations. These substations will connect to an existing 220 kV line, which passes near the Benban Site at a distance of 12 km.
The Egyptian government said Benban will single-handedly revolutionize the energy supply for the entire country. Benban Solar Park is a major initiative that supports the government's goal of generating 42 percent of the country's electricity from renewable resources by 2025.
The Egyptian government aims to nearly halve Egypt's natural gas consumption and provide close to half of the country's energy from renewable sources seven years from now. The government said investments in Egypt's clean energy market jumped by 500 percent since the announcement.
Then, there are the health impacts Benban will help alleviate. The World Health Organization (WHO) recently identified Cairo as the second most polluted large city on Earth. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) supports the construction of Benban and backs a reform program that aims to rescue the country's economy. Greatly reducing Egypt's reliance on fossil fuels is an important part of the effort to boost the nation's economy.
In March, the first of 32 stations at Benban called "Infinity Station" became the first station to begin operations.
"We have been working on this project for two years and a half now," said Minister of Electricity and Renewable Energy Mohamed Shaker during the inauguration of Infinity Station. "The Infinity Company has truly shown its seriousness and professionalism."
Benban will generate between 1.6 GW and 2.0 GW of solar power by mid-2019, said Engineer Ahmad Fathy, Head of Projects Sector in Upper Egypt in the Egyptian Electricity Transmission Company. Fathy said work will start on Vas Station, after the launch of Infinity. Fathy expects Benban to begin operating at full capacity at the start of 2019.
Benban Solar Park is set to generate the equivalent of 90 percent of the energy produced by the Aswan High Dam.
