Egypt is advancing its energy cooperation with China through the Belt and Road Initiative. A key area of collaboration focuses on renewable energy and energy storage projects, which are crucial for Egypt’s energy security and sustainability goals.
One significant collaboration is the Chinese-built Kom Ombo renewables project.
The Kom Ombo project includes a 500 MW photovoltaic power plant that utilizes advanced bifacial solar modules and is now Egypt’s largest solar photovoltaic plant. Construction of both the solar plant and the battery energy storage facility were carried out jointly by China Energy International Group Co Ltd and Zhejiang Thermal Power Construction Co Ltd. The solar power plant was completed in June 2025.
The Project also includes North Africa’s largest grid-side battery energy storage system of 150 MW / 300 MWh, designed by China Power Engineering Group. The energy storage facility was officially handed over for commercial operation in December 2025.
Kom Ombo is located on West bank of the Nile River, approximately 800 km South of Cairo, 60 km north of Aswan city and 15 km from the 1.6 GW Benban solar park in Egypt’s Aswan Governorate.
Egypt relies heavily on imported liquefied natural gas (LNG) to meet its energy needs, with 90.9% of its 2025 LNG imports coming from the US. It has been estimated that Egypt could save US $400 million per year for each 1 GW of solar energy substituted for LNG. The countryhas made significant investments in its solar sector in recent years, headlined by the 1.8GW Benban solar project, which has been in operation since 2019.
The Kom Ombo project is a significant step toward Egypt’s goal of meeting 42% of its electricity demand with renewable sources by 2035 (60% by 2040). Meeting the 2035 target would substantially reduce carbon emissions by over 150,000 tons annually, and provide stable, clean electricity for up to 500,000 households.
Egypt seeks to further advance its clean energy transition through expanded cooperation with Chinese energy institutions and companies.
In early June 2026 high-level discussions between Egypt and Chinese officials took place to explore opportunities to accelerate Egypt’s renewable energy integration, modernize electricity networks, deploy energy storage systems and strengthen long-term power sector planning. Egyptian Minister of Electricity and Renewable Energy Mahmoud Esmat met with senior executives from China Energy and the Electric Power Planning and Engineering Institute.
The talks underscore the growing importance of renewables in the country’s energy transition strategy to raise the share of renewable electricity generation to the 42% by 2035 (or earlier) while improving grid reliability and energy security.
Sources:
Construction Review, January 12, 2026. https://constructionreviewonline.com/egypt-completes-construction-of-its-largest-solar-power-plant-the-500mw-kom-ombo-power-plant/
China Energy Storage Alliance, July 7, 2026. https://en.cnesa.org/latest-news/2025/7/7/150mw300mwh-egypts-largest-standalone-energy-storage-project-commissioned
Serrari Group, June 8, 2026. https://serrarigroup.com/egypt-renewable-energy-cooperation-expands-with-china-energy/
