The Benban Photovoltaic Park in Aswan, Egypt is bathed in the sunshine of the Sahara Desert, with rows of solar panels stretching endlessly. On this land full of hope, a revolution about the future of energy is about to begin. The builders of China Energy Engineering Group Corporation stand in front of the planning map, and wherever they can see, it will be the largest independent energy storage project on the African continent - the Nefertiti 1000 megawatt hour energy storage project in Benban, Egypt.

Stand out from international bidding

On February 25, 2026, China Energy Engineering Group International Engineering Co., Ltd., together with Zhejiang Thermal Power Construction Co., Ltd. and China Power Engineering Consulting Group Southwest Electric Power Design Institute Co., Ltd., successfully won the bid for the Nefertiti 1000 megawatt hour energy storage project in Benban, Egypt. The project is located in the Aswan Benban Photovoltaic Park in Egypt and is the largest independent energy storage project in Africa. Facing strong competitors from multiple countries around the world, Zhongneng Construction stood out and successfully won the bid with its rich project experience, leading technology solutions, and strong resource integration capabilities in the field of energy storage. This breakthrough not only demonstrates the core competitiveness of Chinese enterprises in the global new energy field, but also sets a new milestone for China Egypt energy cooperation.

Comprehensive display of the advantages of the entire industry chain

The project adopts the design, procurement, and construction general contracting mode, and the construction content covers multiple key links. The winning consortium will be responsible for building a new 220 kV substation, completing the overall design, equipment procurement, on-site construction, and system debugging of the energy storage plant area, as well as the renovation and upgrading of the adjacent substation. With China's comprehensive advantages in the energy storage industry chain, the project team will ensure high-quality performance and create a technologically advanced and reliable energy storage demonstration project for Egypt. After completion, the project will have a power load regulation capacity of 1 gigawatt hour, which is equivalent to providing stable power support for hundreds of thousands of households simultaneously.

Give equal importance to technical training and localized development

During the project construction process, China Energy Engineering will uphold the concept of mutual benefit and win-win cooperation, provide a series of technical training for the local area, and continue to deepen cooperation between China and Egypt. By combining systematic theoretical lectures with on-site practical operations, the project team will help Egypt cultivate a group of professional talents who master advanced energy storage technology, substation operation and maintenance, and power dispatch. This cooperation model of teaching people how to fish will promote the rooting of China's energy storage technology and management experience in Egypt, help Egypt build a localized new energy technology team, and leave a valuable talent foundation for the sustainable development of the local power industry. Keywords: new energy, energy storage

Assist Egypt in achieving energy strategic transformation

The construction of the Benban energy storage project in Egypt has profound significance for Egypt's national energy strategy. After the completion of the project, it will effectively enhance the stability and reliability of the Egyptian power grid, alleviate the peak valley difference contradiction of the local power grid, and provide sustained and stable power guarantee for millions of residents and industrial and commercial users in the surrounding area. More importantly, this project will help Egypt achieve its strategic goal of 42% clean energy by 2030, and promote Egypt's historic leap from an energy producing country to a green energy export center. The successful implementation of the project will inject strong impetus into Egypt's clean energy transformation and contribute Chinese wisdom and solutions to the sustainable development of the African continent.Editor/Gao Xue