KarmSolar, Daltex partner to triple energy capacity of Farafra Solar Grid

The partnership includes supplying Daltex with 2 MVA of electricity and providing a combined 3.17 MVA to Al-Mazare' for Food Manufacturing and Cooling, and Al Hoda for Land Rehabilitation and Cultivation.

The grid’s scalability has made it a vital solution for Daltex, which oversees 40% of Farafra’s agricultural landscape.

The move nearly triples the grid’s contracted capacity, surging from 3.2 MVA to 8.37 MVA, and raises utilization from 35% to 75%, enhancing electricity distribution across 64,000 acres of agricultural land in the Farafra region.

“We are committed to building a reliable power grid in Farafra, with the ultimate goal of achieving 100 percent solar dependency,” KarmSolar co-founder and CEO Ahmed Zahran said. This is a goal KarmSolar aims to hit within five years.

This expansion marks a leap in reducing the Farafra region’s dependence on diesel—a costly, polluting energy source—and transitioning further to cleaner alternatives.

In January 2023, KarmSolar launched the first phase of the Farafra Solar Grid, which integrates solar PV panels, battery storage, and diesel generators into a centralized network to support off-grid agricultural operations, with an EGP 83 million financing package from HSBC. 

The first phase introduced a 3.4 MWp solar PV station, 3.7 MVA diesel generators, and a 4 MWh/1 MW battery energy storage system, achieving 60% solar penetration. 

In 2022, the Financial Times named KarmSolar as one of the fastest-growing companies in Egypt. The cleantech has a portfolio of 42 MW of secured generation assets and 48 MVA of contracted distribution capacity across multiple sectors.

Daltex’s adoption of KarmSolar’s model highlights the economic and environmental benefits of centralized, renewable energy solutions, setting a precedent for other agribusinesses in Egypt and beyond.