Two solar plants with a combined capacity of 160kW have been inaugurated in Luxor, Egypt
The first 80kW plant, worth US$530,000, would be used to power the lights at the Luxor University building and surrounding streetlights. The second plant, with a capacity of 80kW, would power the headquarters of Luxor?s government.
The solar plants were inaugurated by Egypt?s Prime Minister Ibrahim Mahlab and Tarek Saad Eddin, the governor of Luxor, stated local reports.
With an annual electricity demand of 60MW, Luxor is looking to switch to renewable energy as a reliable source of power, Saad Eddin said. A US$3mn solar plant, with a capacity of two megawatts, is being planned to power Luxor.
According to the US Energy Information Administration (EIA), nearly 300,000 people in Egypt lack access to electricity. Government officials have stated that the country plans to increase its share of renewable energy to 20 per cent by 2020.
Keeping this goal in mind, Prime Minister Mahlab said that Egypt would soon step up the research and development of solar energy use. In addition, local and administrative development minister Adel Labib said that a US$1bn solar project is in the pipeline.
