1.8-Gigawatt Benban Solar Farm In Egypt Can Power 1 Million Households

The success of the Benban Solar Farm near Aswan, Egypt, demonstrates the impact that large scale clean energy projects can have on the energy matrix of North African countries. The largest solar park in Africa and the 4th largest solar farm globally, the park has an installed capacity of 1.8 GW and is the summation of 41 individual plants. The size and scope of the project is remarkable. The project can power over a million homes, totals over 37 square kilometers, and reduces carbon emissions in Egypt by two million tonnes per year.

Along with reducing carbon emissions, the construction of the Benban Park created significant job growth as well as permanent maintenance positions. At least 20,000 jobs were created for the construction of the park and 6,000 permanent jobs were created for maintenance and management. The financing for this park can be used as an example for future large-scale renewable projects in Africa. For its development, the project was divided into 41 plots and assigned to 30 developers.

This project’s development was partially possible because of the Egyptian government’s “feed-in tariffs,” which guaranteed a fixed price for power generation over the next 25 years. This was combined with public support from both the International Finance Corporation and the World Bank. This combination of both private investment made possible through government tariffs and public investment through the World Bank ensures a strong flow of capital to renewable projects.