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Middle East’s first GW-scale tender for solar power swamped with applicants

Solar twice oversubscribed in Middle East’s first GW-scale tender  http://www.pv-tech.org/news/solar_twice_over_subscribed_in_middle_easts_first_gw_scale_tender  5 Jan 15 Egypt’s recent renewable energy tender was twice oversubscribed for solar projects, it has been revealed.

The Egyptian government is expected to reveal the full list of pre-approved projects in the region’s first gigawatt-scale tender later today.

The law firm Eversheds hosted an event in December with the chairman of Egypt’s New and Renewable Energy Authority and the managing director of the electricity regulator, EgyptERA. The subject of the country’s 4.3GW feed-in tariff programme was raised. The scheme includes 2GW of large-scale solar, 300MW of PV projects under 500kW and 2GW of wind.

Michelle T Davies, head of Eversheds’ clean energy and sustainability group, spoke to PV Tech after the event: “They explained more about the programme during that day. They had 178 projects apply for the FiT and they have pre-qualified 67. Forty of those are solar. The rest are wind.

“Solar was more than double subscribed and wind was 56% subscribed. So the wind tender will go out again,” she said, adding that the first power purchase agreements are likely to be awarded in the first half of 2015.

PV plants between 500kW and 20MW will receive a rate of US$0.136/kWh. Project between 20 and 50MW will be offered US$0.1434/kWh. Contracts will be offered for a 25-year term.

January 7, 2015 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | Egypt, renewable