BY: Dr. Hana Saada
ALGIERS- After several years of anticipation, the national solar energy program is finally materializing on the ground. The Minister of Energy and Mines, Mohamed Arkab, inaugurated the first project of the 3000 MW program, with a production capacity of 200 MW, yesterday in the province of El Meghaier.
During his visit to the region, Mohamed Arkab laid the foundation stone for the project entrusted to the Chinese company CSCEC. According to the Minister of Energy, this project is one of the largest in the 3000 MW program and will “address the high demand for electricity in the region and export surplus production.”
The El-Meghaier solar power plant is spread over an area of 400 hectares, of which 247 hectares will accommodate over 364,000 photovoltaic panels and 40 transformers. Additionally, an evacuation substation of 30/220 kV will be set up for the collection and management of energy produced by the PV panels, along with a 220 kV evacuation line connected to the GRTE 220 kV station in El-Berd, extending over a length of 2 km. The realization of this project requires a multi-million-dollar investment. According to Sonelgaz’s document, the mobilized amount for its implementation is $64 million, with $10 million subject to VAT, for the foreign investment part.
As for the local currency portion, it amounts to 10 billion Algerian dinars, with 1.6 billion dinars subject to value-added tax. According to the Minister of Energy, this project aims to “strengthen electricity production in this region to meet the needs of citizens and farmers for this energy.” Indeed, the execution of the project marks the beginning of a new era for renewable energies in Algeria, which is displaying its ambitions to further propel this sector within the framework of the 15 GW solar energy program. This program has garnered significant interest from the government, which has allocated a financial envelope of over 21 billion euros for its implementation on the ground, through public-private partnerships or with foreign partners.
The first phase of this program involves the construction of 20 solar parks across the country, which have been awarded to ten companies or consortia, including two local and three local companies in partnership with foreign companies. The contracts include design, engineering, assembly, training, testing, and commissioning of solar projects. The first phase of the national 15 GW solar program, whose contracts have already been concluded, will involve the construction of 20 solar plants with a production capacity of 3000 MW, requiring an investment of $3 billion. The selected locations to host these new energy infrastructures are the provinces of Béchar, M’sila, Bordj Bou Arréridj, Batna, El-Oued, Ghardaïa, Tiaret, Laghouat, Touggourt, El-Meghaier, Biskra, and Ouled Djellal.
These projects are part of the national program to revitalize the energy sector, this time by harnessing solar energy production while leveraging the country’s natural potential and the enthusiasm shown by foreign operators for investment in this sector. The steps taken yesterday thus mark the beginning of the implementation of the first phase of a comprehensive strategy aimed at making Algeria a key player in the hydrogen industry in the years to come.
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