AMEA Power, a renewable energy company based in the United Arab Emirates, has announced the commissioning of a 500 megawatt (MW) wind farm in Ras Ghareb, located in Egypt’s Red Sea Governorate. The site is now the largest operational wind power facility on the African continent, according to a statement released on 2 June.
The facility, named Amunet Wind Power Plant, is a joint venture between AMEA Power, holding a 60% stake, and Japan’s Sumitomo Corporation, which holds 40%. The project is designed to generate approximately 2,500 gigawatt-hours (GWh) of electricity annually—enough to supply power to more than 500,000 households.
Accelerated deployment in the Egyptian market
This development comes only six months after AMEA Power commissioned a 500MW solar photovoltaic power plant in Aswan. With this new project, the company’s currently operational energy capacity in Egypt reaches 1 gigawatt (GW). The project was completed 2.5 months ahead of schedule.
The wind power plant was financed by an international consortium including the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC), the International Finance Corporation (IFC), Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation, Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Bank, and Standard Chartered Bank. The commercial tranche of the financing was insured by Nippon Export and Investment Insurance (NEXI), and an additional working capital facility was provided by the Commercial International Bank of Egypt.
A project backed by multilateral stakeholders
At the height of construction, up to 800 workers were employed on site. AMEA Power also conducted health and safety training sessions for youth from local communities as part of its social engagement commitments in the region.
The company, which is among the most active energy developers in the Middle East and Africa, is strengthening its footprint in Egypt with a growing portfolio that includes solar and energy storage projects totalling several gigawatts in capacity.
