Somabay and TAQA Arabia Inaugurate PV Solar Plant

Somabay and TAQA Arabia celebrate the inauguration of a 5MW PV solar plant in Somabay owned by TAQA Arabia, the full-service energy and utility provider in Egypt.

The PV station was inaugurated by Osama Saleh, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Abu Soma Tourism Development Company, CEO Ibrahim El-Missiri, Eng. Khaled AbuBakr, Executive Chairman of TAQA Arabia, and CEO Pakinam Kafafi.

Both companies also signed a new agreement to build a water desalination and treatment plant to cover the resort’s needs of desalinated water using Solar energy.

The opening ceremony was also attended by Major General Ihab Raafat representing the Red Sea Governor, Mr. Nabeel Al-Amudi, CEO of Olayan Financing Company, Ms. Deema Abughazaleh, Olayan’s representative in Egypt.

The PV solar station’s agreement was signed 9 months ago through which TAQA Arabia was able to successfully execute the project within the assigned time frame.

The project aims to generate electricity from solar energy and expand the use of renewables in order to minimize the dependance on conventional electricity at a reduced cost and a higher efficiency as well as minimizing the carbon footprint.

Osama Saleh stated: “Soma Bay’s vision is aligned with Egypt’s 2030 strategy for sustainable development, having one of its main pillars the transformation of clean energy and the development of the green economy."

Khaled AbuBakr: “The new venture is another step towards the country's vision of diversifying the energy sources and expanding the use renewable energy resources."

Ibrahim El-Missiri said: “I’m proud to witness the success of the PV solar station project in collaboration with our outstanding partner TAQA Arabia. The project comes in alignment with Somabay’s vision of sustainable development, will largely reduce operational costs on the long run.”

He added: “Our primary objective is to generate the required power using solar energy to reduce electricity and water desalination costs."

"This project will greatly contribute to the expansion of the energy spectrum in the tourism sector to include renewable resources, all of these endeavors aligns with Egypt’s vision to explore and diversify the energy resources.”

Pakinam Kafafi, Chief Executive Officer of TAQA Arabia, stated: "TAQA Arabia will establish a water desalination and treatment plant on the premises of Somabay, using the electricity generated from the PV solar station and the latest energy saving technology.

"Being the full-service energy and utility provider TAQA Arabia has pioneered in merging water desalination projects using renewable energy In pursuit of reaching the maximized sustainability."

The company provides electricity generation and distribution services as well as water desalination and treatment, becoming an integrated provider of all energy and utility solutions serving more than 1.7 million customers with their daily energy and utility needs throughout Egypt.