North African country, Egypt, has declared plans to enhance cooperation in renewable energy and the localization of solar cell and battery production.
Mahmoud Esmat, Egypt’s Minister of Electricity and Renewable Energy, disclosed this during a meeting with the CEO of China Energy Overseas Investment Company (CEECOIC), Lyu Zexiang, on Sunday.
In his statement, Esmat explained that localizing renewable energy equipment ranks among the ministry’s top priorities, with new regulations aiming for 60% local content in solar and wind projects.
“Localising renewable energy manufacturing is one of the key pillars of our work plan at this stage,” he said.
According to the ministry’s announcement, the meeting covered CEECOIC’s plans to relocate its North and West Africa headquarters to Cairo.
It also highlighted plans to localize the manufacturing of solar cells and energy storage batteries in Egypt, in line with the country’s incentives for foreign partners.
The meeting also addressed CEECOIC’s proprietary technologies, investment models, and Egypt’s growing energy market, as well as the measures being implemented by the state to support technology transfer and industrial localization.
Minister Esmat’s talks with CEO Zexiang were built on prior discussions at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit.
Proposed projects
Further discussions covered CEECOIC plans for a 1,000-megawatt (MW) solar power plant, a 600 MW battery-powered energy storage facility, and an additional 1,000 MW storage project.
These projects aim to support Egypt’s grid modernization and support its unified national network.
Esmat noted that the ministry’s strategy focuses on producing electrical equipment locally, fostering domestic industry, and drawing international capital to enhance infrastructure resilience.
In June, a Chinese solar company, Sunrev, signed an agreement to establish a $200 million integrated industrial complex for the production of solar energy components in Egypt.
The solar production plant was aimed to serve Egypt’s renewable energy as the government approves more projects.
Broader implications
Egypt targets increasing renewable capacity to meet domestic needs and export potential; hence, these discussions help improve the country’s transition to green energy.
By partnering with global leaders like China Energy, Cairo seeks to leverage advanced technologies for sustainable development.
According to a report, this collaboration aims to accelerate Egypt’s energy transition, strengthen its cleantech ecosystem, and support its broader national development objectives, including those in the BRICS.
BRICS is a forum for cooperation among a group of leading emerging economies, comprising 10 countries, of which China and Egypt are included.
