Scatec Completes 1.1GW Solar-plus-Storage Project in Egypt, Africa’s Largest Hybrid Renewable Energy Installation

Norwegian independent power producer (IPP) Scatec has announced the commercial operation of the second and final phase of its Obelisk solar-plus-storage project in Egypt, completing what the company describes as Africa’s largest hybrid solar and battery energy storage installation.

The Obelisk project combines 1.1GW of solar photovoltaic (PV) capacity with a 100MW/200MWh battery energy storage system (BESS) and was delivered in two phases.

Scatec began commercial operations for the project’s battery storage system and 561of solar capacity in February, while the remaining 564MW solar capacity has now reached commercial operation, bringing the full project online.

The electricity generated from the project will be supplied to Egypt Aluminium under a 25-year power purchase agreement (PPA).

“Completing Africa’s largest hybrid solar and battery installation demonstrates our ability to develop, finance, and deliver large-scale renewable energy projects in emerging markets,” said Terje Pilskog, CEO of Scatec.

Scatec Expands Renewable Energy Presence in Egypt

The Obelisk project represents Scatec’s largest standalone solar project in Egypt, surpassing its previous 390MW solar project completed in 2019, which forms part of the 1.8GW Benban Solar Park, Egypt’s largest solar development.

Scatec stated that Egypt remains one of its key long-term growth markets, with plans to develop an additional 4.3GW of renewable energy capacity and 4.1GWh of battery energy storage capacity in the country.

In May, the National Bank of Egypt acquired a 20% equity stake in the Obelisk project. Together with existing shareholders Norfund and EDF Power Solutions, which each hold 20% stakes, the transaction reduced Scatec’s ownership to 40%, while the company remains the largest shareholder.

Egypt’s Solar-plus-Storage Market Continues to Grow

The Obelisk project highlights Egypt’s accelerating development of hybrid renewable energy projects combining solar generation with battery storage.

Earlier this year, several other large-scale solar-plus-storage developments advanced in Egypt:

• Infinity Power’s 1.2GW Nefer Menya solar-plus-storage project received a module supply agreement from Chinese solar manufacturer Aiko.

• HAU Energy’s 200MW solar-plus-storage project secured financing support from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD).

The EBRD was also among several financial institutions that invested US$479 million into the Obelisk project earlier this year, supporting the development of one of Africa’s largest renewable energy and storage projects.

As countries across Africa accelerate their energy transition strategies, large-scale solar-plus-storage projects such as Obelisk are expected to play an increasingly important role in improving renewable energy integration and grid stability.