Egypt Electricity Transmission Company (EETC) has prequalified all of the 18 entrants for its planned 600MW photovoltaic (PV) solar plant in the West of Nile area.

MEED reported in February that the client had received prequalification entries from 18 groups for the solar project, which will be developed under a build, own and operate (BOO) model.

According to sources close to the project, the client has prequalified all firms to participate in the tender. Bidders have not yet been notified of when the request for proposal (RFP) documents will be issued.

The eighteen prequalified groups are:

• GCL New Energy International (China)
• Jinko Solar (China) / Masdar (UAE)
• NTPC (India)
• Light Source BP (UK) / First Solar (US) / KarmSolar (local)
• FRV Fotowatio (Spain/Saudi Arabia) / Infinity Solar (local)
• EDRA Power Holdings (Malaysia)
• Toyota Tsusho (Japan)
• Acciona Energia (Spain) / Swicorp (Saudi Arabia)
• Engie (France) / Orascom (local)
• Alfanar (Saudi Arabia) / Risen Energy (India)
• Globeleq Africa (UK) / TSK (Spain)
• Scatec Solar (Norway) / Azure Power (India)
• Acwa Power (Saudi Arabia) / Chint Solar (China)
• Mitsui (Japan) / Taqa (UAE) / Solar Reserve (US)
• EDF (France) / Marubeni (Japan) / Elsewedy (local)
• Actis (Mexico)
• Total Egypt (local)
• TBEA (China)

The EETC BOO is part of Cairo’s plans for renewable energy to contribute 20 per cent of the generation mix by 2022, and 44 per cent by 2030.

Egypt is also pushing ahead with its ambitious feed-in-tariff (FIT) programme, under which it hopes to develop 4.3GW of renewable energy in the coming years.