El Gouna, one of Orascom Development’s fully integrated sustainable towns, arranges a field visit to its solar plant in partnership with SolarizEgypt, Invest-Gate reports.
The field visit was attended by Major General Ahmed Marzouk, Secretary General of the Red Sea Governorate, Mahmoud Abdel Hakim, Director of the Clean Energy Department at Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency, Ministry of Environment, Mohamed Amer, CEO of El Gouna, and Yaseen Abdel-Ghaffar, Founder of SolarizEgypt, in addition to a group media representatives and journalists.
The solar plant spans over an area of 245,000 sqm, with investments worth EGP 97 mn. It produces 14 GWh annually. El Gouna’s solar plant has a 25-year Independent Power Producer (IPP) self-consumption system and a capacity of 7.128 MWp to cover 16% of the town’s needs.
The solar power produced supports lighting the town’s streets and buildings, reducing pressure on energy consumption throughout the year. El Gouna also plans to expand its solar plant and double production in the near future.
The visit aligns with Orascom Development’s role as a responsible investor and demonstrated efforts towards achieving economic, social, and environmental development conforming to Egypt Vision 2030 and the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Moreover, the solar plant strengthens El Gouna’s position as the Middle East’s first sustainable town since 2014, supported by the United Nations Environment Program.
“Orascom Development has been committed to delivering its vision of creating sustainable, integrated towns for more than 33 years since El Gouna’s inception,” Amer comments.
Amer adds that the visit falls in the line of the company’s commitment to Egypt’s strategy of maximizing the use of renewable energy sources, enhancing the country’s environmental sustainability practices, and adhering to the UN SDGs to guarantee clean energy with affordable prices.
“We are proud that El Gouna represents a model for a sustainable town in Egypt; through our commitment towards our individuals and communities, we were able to reduce our ecological footprint and reach the success we are witnessing today,” Amer points out.
It is worth mentioning that El Gouna pursues several environmental sustainability initiatives, including using 100% recycled water to irrigate 75% of its gardens and outdoor areas and sorting 100% of its solid waste while recycling 75% of it in cooperation with Ertekaa, the waste management company founded in 2014. An average of 15 tons of solid waste is collected daily in El Gouna.
Additionally, the town’s 18 hotels have all received the “Green Star Award,” awarded by the Chamber of Hotel Establishments and the Ministry of Tourism & Antiques, adhering to environmental sustainability standards and practices in which the hotels also contribute to supporting the protection and preservation of coral reefs.