The European Union ambassador to Egypt James Moran visited Marsa Matrouh governorate last Wednesday as part of a two-day tour to attend the opening of four solar power stations for which EU provided €1m in financing.
Moran told Daily News Egypt that the initiative fell within the framework of the EU’s programme to support solar energy. The EU, in cooperation with The University of Alexandria and a non-governmental organization, will install solar panels on several government buildings in Marsa Matrouh, including a school, hospital, and the public library.
During the tour, Moran visited an under-development agriculture site owned by local farmers from Matrouh, a project that is supported by the EU Rural Development Programme.
The EU provides €21.9m to Egypt within the framework of its Rural Development Programme. According to a press release from the EU office in Egypt, Italy has a parallel financing initiative that has provided €1m to three governorates: Marsa Matrouh, Minya, and Fayoum.
The programme aims to increase agricultural production and quality of life in rural provinces by promoting the sustainable management of water resources, the adoption of good agricultural practices, and the creation of new sources of income and economic growth. The programme seeks to provide financing to 10,000 farming families.
The EU has also supported the construction of wind parks in Egypt. Energy experts expect the EU to finance the construction of a new wind park in the Suez Gulf with a capacity factor of 200MW at a cost of $340m. Studies on the plant are expected to be finished by the end of 2017.
