4 billion buck Benban Solar Park

neufer · Post by **neufer** » Tue Oct 22, 2019 12:23 am

https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/145738/catching-rays-in-the-desert wrote:

Landsat 8 of Benban Solar Park on October 9, 2019
Click to play embedded YouTube video.
<<Egypt has plenty of oil and gas supplies underground. It also has an abundance of clear skies and sunlight. In 2019, the nation harnessed some of that energy with one of the largest solar energy installations in the world. When finished, the $4 billion Benban Solar Park will cover about 37 square kilometers with more than 7 million photovoltaic solar panels. It is projected to have the capacity to produce 1.8 gigawatts of electricity (versus the Aswan High Dam's 2.1 gigawatts). The drive for solar and other renewable power sources is more than a clean energy movement for Egypt. Five years ago, the nation’s peak electricity demand was 28 gigawatts (GW), while its production was just 24 GW. Blackouts were common. With 96 million people and a growing population and economy, Egypt projects that it will need to double its electric power capacity, which it is doing through a blend of solar, hydroelectric, and natural gas plants. At the start of 2018, Egypt drew about 90 percent of its electricity from oil and natural gas. By the end of 2022, the nation hopes to raise renewable energy sources to 20 percent of domestic production. They intend to get to 42 percent by 2035>>.