The EU, the Federal Republic of Germany through Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau (KfW), and the European Investment Bank (EIB), jointly with the Ministry of Electricity and Renewable Energy have inaugurated the largest wind farm in Africa in the Gulf of El-Zayt in Egypt.
The project costs amounted to €340m, with the EU contributing €30m, a statement from the EU said.
The wind farm project generates up to 800 GW per year, which is sufficient to supply around 500,000 people with electricity and contributes to preventing 400,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions per year.
Last month, Egyptian Minister of International Cooperation Sahar Nasr met with Deputy Director General of the European Commission Katerina Mathernova to discuss prospects for economic and financial cooperation between Egypt and the EU.
They both discussed the current status of the programmes and projects funded by the European Commission grants in the framework of bilateral cooperation between Egypt and the EU, which amounted to €490m.
They also discussed the stalled projects that are facing difficulties in implementation. Nasr said she will work with all parties involved in the implementation of projects to overcome the obstacles that delay progress in these projects.
In order to promote Egyptian-European relations, Nasr further noted the importance of using European aid to support the government’s priorities in the current phase, since it directly reflects on the community.
In 2014, the EU allocated €10m to develop slum areas in Greater Cairo. The grant aimed to improve health and education services for approximately 2 million individuals out of the total 12 million living in these areas.
