Dear MEL Topic Readers,
Solar and batteries could help Egypt beat its blackouts
Summer is hot in many parts of the world, especially in Egypt. Average
high temperatures go well over 30 degrees, even though nighttime temperatures
drop significantly. Indeed, except for the coastal regions on the Mediterranean
Sea, most of the land in Egypt is desert, where there is a lot of sunshine but
little or no rain. Recently, demand for electricity has surged in summer to combat
the intense heat with air conditioning. For now, nearly 90% of the country’s
electricity is generated by fossil fuels, mainly gas. The problem is that production
from the nation’s major gas field is declining, and Egypt is struggling to
supply enough electricity, especially in summer. In the meantime, there is more
than enough sunshine in the desert, which could be turned into a mega solar
power plant. However, since solar panels only work when there is sunshine,
battery storage is also needed to supply electricity even when the sun isn’t
shining. The good news is that costs for batteries, solar panels, and installation
have been falling recently, which allows Egypt to develop a large-scale solar
power plant. The Obelisk solar energy project is Egypt’s first gigawatt-scale solar
and battery plant to make use of the abundant sunshine in the desert.
Read the article and learn about Egypt’s attempt to combat summer with
solar power.
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