Egypt’s Energy & Electricity Ministry has shortlisted 10 companies for the contract to build the country’s first private wind farm.

The winning bidder will develop the 250MW farm on the Gulf of Suez on a build-own-operate basis.

The shortlisted developers include Spain’s Iberdrola, Italy’s Enel, Electricite de France, the UK’s Renewable Energy Systems, the US’ AES Corporation, Korea Electric Power Corporation and Japan’s Toyota.

The list also includes local firms Orascom Construction Industries, El-Sewedy Cables and Egypt Wind Power with Malaysia’s Powertek Berhad.

The companies will now carry out site studies before submitting their bids in the first quarter of 2011.

Egypt aims to produce 20 per cent of its electricity from renewable energy by 2020. A total of 12 per cent will come from wind energy.