ENGIE, in partnership with Egyptian and Japanese firms, has successfully completed the Ras Ghareb Wind Farm , the largest operational wind energy project in the Middle East and Africa, adding 400 MW to Egypt’s national grid and accelerating the country’s shift toward sustainable energy.
The Ras Ghareb Wind Farm, located near the Gulf of Suez, marks a milestone not only for Egypt’s renewable energy ambitions but also for private sector participation in clean power generation across the region. Developed at a cost of approximately $500 million, the project was led by a consortium including ENGIE (France), Toyota Tsusho (Japan), Eurus Energy, and Egypt’s Orascom Construction.
The wind farm was officially completed in mid-2025 and has already begun feeding electricity into the Egyptian grid, supporting the country’s Integrated Sustainable Energy Strategy (ISES) 2035, which aims to have 42% of its electricity sourced from renewables by 2035. The Ras Ghareb facility alone is expected to generate around 1,580 GWh of electricity annually, enough to power over 500,000 households, while avoiding 800,000 tonnes of CO₂ emissions per year.
A Flagship for Private Sector-Led Renewable Energy
The Ras Ghareb project stands out as a model for Independent Power Producer (IPP) frameworks in the Middle East and Africa. Developed under a Build-Own-Operate (BOO) scheme, the facility underscores the Egyptian government’s openness to public-private partnerships in renewable energy, helping to unlock foreign investment and technology transfer in the sector.
ENGIE owns a 40% stake in the project, with Toyota Tsusho/Eurus Energy and Orascom Construction holding 40% and 20%, respectively. The electricity produced is being sold to the Egyptian Electricity Transmission Company (EETC) under a 20-year Power Purchase Agreement (PPA), signed in 2017.
“This wind farm reflects our commitment to accelerating the energy transition in emerging markets,” said Sébastien Arbola, Executive Vice President of ENGIE, in a press release. “We are proud to deliver clean and affordable power to Egypt, in line with our carbon-neutral strategy.”
Regional Renewable Energy Ambitions
Egypt’s strategic location and favorable wind conditions, especially along the Red Sea and Gulf of Suez, position it as a key player in wind energy within Africa and the broader MENA (Middle East and North Africa) region. According to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), Egypt has a technical wind energy potential of over 30 GW, with the Gulf of Suez region alone offering consistent wind speeds of 8–10 meters per second.
With the successful commissioning of Ras Ghareb, Egypt has now crossed over 1 GW of installed wind capacity, with several more projects in the pipeline, including the 500 MW Gulf of Suez II wind project by ACWA Power and a 1.1 GW facility planned by Masdar and Infinity Power.
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This momentum comes as Egypt seeks to position itself as a regional renewable energy hub, exporting power to neighboring countries and participating in continental initiatives such as the African Union’s African Single Electricity Market (AfSEM).
Financing and Multilateral Support
The Ras Ghareb Wind Farm was backed by an array of development finance institutions (DFIs), reflecting international confidence in Egypt’s regulatory and energy frameworks. The project secured funding from the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC), Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (SMBC), Societe Generale, and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD).
Notably, the involvement of Japanese and European DFIs demonstrates the alignment of climate finance flows toward large-scale renewable projects in Africa. By derisking such projects through concessional loans and risk mitigation instruments, these institutions are helping to crowd in private capital and scale up clean energy deployment across developing markets.
Environmental and Social Impact
Beyond its climate mitigation benefits, the Ras Ghareb Wind Farm has contributed significantly to local socio-economic development. During peak construction, the project employed over 1,000 workers, mostly from the surrounding areas. ENGIE and its partners have also implemented environmental and community engagement programs aligned with international standards, including those set by the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and Equator Principles.
Environmental impact assessments were conducted prior to construction, and mitigation measures have been implemented to reduce risks to bird migration, a crucial consideration given Egypt’s role as a key flyway for migratory birds between Europe and Africa.
Strategic Geopolitical Timing
The completion of the Ras Ghareb Wind Farm comes at a time when global geopolitical tensions are driving renewed focus on energy security, diversification, and domestic generation. For Egypt, which has faced growing electricity demand due to population growth and industrial expansion, renewable energy offers a cost-effective solution to reduce reliance on fossil fuels and imported energy.
Moreover, the project aligns with Egypt’s international commitments under the Paris Agreement and its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), which target a 50% share of renewables in new power generation capacity by 2030.
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For ENGIE, the Ras Ghareb project cements its presence in the African renewable energy space. The company is actively pursuing other clean energy investments across the continent, including solar and green hydrogen projects. In Egypt, ENGIE is also involved in desalination and district cooling initiatives, demonstrating a broader vision for integrated sustainable infrastructure.
Egypt, meanwhile, continues to host international renewable energy summits and collaborate with multilateral organizations such as IRENA and the African Development Bank (AfDB) to attract more clean energy investments. The upcoming 2025 Cairo Green Energy Forum is expected to unveil new project announcements and financing tools for utility-scale renewables and storage systems.
