The wind along the Red Sea coast brushes over the Gobi Desert of Ras Shukel year-round, and high-quality wind resources have been waiting for the landing of larger power units. Previously, China Power Construction and AMEA Power had completed cooperation in the Gulf of Suez, accumulating construction experience in high-temperature sand, dust, and salt spray conditions step by step from small models. With the finalization of this EPC contract, local wind power development has entered the era of large megawatts, which also means that a number of opportunities for lifting, civil engineering, operation and maintenance support that are suitable for the Red Sea environment are emerging. The technical threshold and industrial chain pattern of onshore wind power in North Africa are quietly changing.

Large unit landing

The project is located 15 kilometers west of Ras Shukair City in the Red Sea Province, with a total installed capacity of 500MW, covering an area of 54 square kilometers, and equipped with 45 11MW wind turbines. China Power Construction undertakes the full process EPC work, and the project operates under the IPP mode, with the general contractor not holding any equity. After completion, it is estimated that the annual power generation will exceed 2.3 billion kilowatt hours, which can meet the electricity needs of 500000 households and reduce carbon emissions by about 940000 tons annually, supporting Egypt's goal of 45% clean energy by 2028. After the signing of this contract, China Power Construction Corporation's wind power EPC installed capacity in Egypt reached 2.3GW, becoming the largest wind power EPC contractor in the local area.

Working condition test

The red sea breeze has outstanding resource conditions, but the combination of high temperature sand and salt spray makes equipment protection much more difficult than conventional wind farms. China Electric Power Construction's experience in high-temperature concrete control, window period lifting, and sand and dust protection during the sedimentation of the Suez Bay project can be reused. There is a generation difference between the 11MW model and the previously used 6.5MW and 8MW models. The hub height, blade size, and foundation load have been comprehensively increased, and the lifting and transportation foundation design needs to be re adapted. Owners and general contractors will use the long-term operational test data of the Red Sea as the core basis for equipment and subcontracting selection.

Supporting opportunities

Business opportunities will not be immediately released with the signing of the contract. The pace of subcontracting bidding follows the financing and construction nodes. The lifting section is usually launched 3 to 6 months before the start of construction. Enterprises with North African lifting performance can continue to follow up on project department information. The precision requirements for basic construction have been improved, and subcontractors with experience in Red Sea projects have obvious advantages. The local service of operation and maintenance spare parts belongs to the long-term market, and the main partner is AMEA Power. The demand for storage of large component replacement spare parts will gradually be released in the future, which is suitable for enterprises with overseas service layout capabilities to continue to follow up. Keywords: Egyptian wind power, China Power Construction, large megawatt units

The core signal of this project is the first large-scale application of the 11MW model in Egypt. The implementation of large orders is not only an increase in installed capacity, but also a landmark step towards upgrading North African onshore wind power to large megawatts. It has added an important foothold for the domestic wind power industry chain to go global.Editor/Li Xiaohua