Egypt Electricity Transmission Company (EETC) received prequalification entries from 18 prospective bidders for its planned 600MW photovoltaic (PV) solar plant in the West of Nile area.

The client had extended the prequalification deadline to 19 February, from the previously planned 14 January. The project will be developed under a build-own-operate (BOT) model.

Prequalification entries were received from the following developers:

• GCL New Energy International (China)
• Jinko Solar (China)/Masdar (UAE)
• NTPC (India)
• Light Source BP (UK)/ First Solar (US)/ Karm Solar (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 BOT 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.