Egypt’s New & Renewable Energy Authority (NREA) signed the first land allocation agreements for its feed-in tariff renewable energy programme at the Egypt Economic Development Conference (EEDC) in Sharm el-Sheikh on 16 March.

In the presence of Electricity & Energy Minister Mohamed Shaker, NREA signed agreements to provide land to three developers, each for 50MW solar projects.

The first company to be allocated land was Jordan’s Philadelphia Solar. Philadelphia Solar is also developing a 12MW photovoltaic (PV) solar power plant in Jordan under the feed-in tariff programme.

The other two firms that have been allocated land for their 50MW proposals are Saudi Arabia’s FAS Energy, part of the Fawaz Alhokair Group, and the local Orascom.

MEED reported on 14 March that NREA hoped to finalise the terms of power purchase agreements for the first round of its feed-in tariff renewable energy programme by early April.

Under the country’s first direct proposal renewable energy programme, Egypt wants 4,300MW of renewable energy developed, split between solar (2,300MW) and wind (2,000MW).

MEED reported in January that the Electricity Ministry had prequalified 68 companies to submit proposals for prospective PV solar projects and wind farm developments.

The ministry hopes to have awarded all contracts in the first direct proposal tranche by the end of 2016.

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