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Kuraymat Solar Thermal Power Plant

Al-Fayoum, Egypt

2005 - 2011
Energy ManagementInfrastructureLarge Urban ProjectRenewable Energy

Project Description

Approach Words: Integrated City, Participatory Approach, Sustainability

Public Policy Instruments: Financial Mechanism, Organization, Regulatory

The Kuraymat Solar Thermal Power Plant is a landmark integrated solar combined cycle (ISCC) facility, located about 100 kilometers south of Cairo, in Kuraymat region.1 It represents the first hybrid solar-gas power plant in Egypt, combining solar thermal and natural-gas technologies.2 3 Initiated under Egypt’s National Five-Year Development Plan, the project was developed between 2005 and 2011,4 with the aim of introducing solar thermal technology to Egypt’s grid and diversifying national energy sources.5 6

The project’s vision was to “diversify Egypt’s power supply, reduce environmental impacts from fuel consumption, and demonstrate new solar thermal technologies applicable to future projects.”7 The initiative aligns with Egypt’s national energy strategy to promote renewable energy integration and reduce greenhouse-gas emissions.8 9

Title: Aerial view of the parabolic trough solar field at the Kuraymat ISCC plant, showing the parallel collector loop arrangement.

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Title: Diagram of the solar collector assembly (SCA) and piping layout, detailing the heat transfer fluid (HTF) circuit.

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Title: Process schematic of the Kuraymat Integrated Solar Combined Cycle (ISCC) system, illustrating the integration of solar thermal energy with the gas turbine's heat recovery steam generator (HRSG).

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Title: Process schematic of the Kuraymat Integrated Solar Combined Cycle (ISCC) system, illustrating the integration of solar thermal energy with the gas turbine's heat recovery steam generator (HRSG).

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To implement these objectives, the Kuraymat Solar Thermal Power Plant was designed with a total capacity of 140 MW, of which 20 MW derive from the solar field and the remainder from a natural-gas combined-cycle system.1011 The project’s key components include:

  • Solar field comprising 160 parabolic-trough collectors in 40 loops with an aperture area of 130,800 square meters.12 13 14
  • 74 MW gas turbine and 56 MW steam turbine integrated through a heat-recovery steam-generation system.15

The solar field supplies up to 61 MW of thermal power under peak irradiance, reducing fuel consumption and emissions by substituting solar energy for part of the gas input.16 The total investment reached approximately 34.45 billion JPY (around USD 300 million), exceeding initial estimates due to global steel-price increases and equipment costs.17 Construction delays extended the completion to June 2011, when the plan was officially commissioned.18

The project was implemented and managed by Egypt’s New and Renewable Energy Authority (NREA),19 with Orascom Construction serving as the main contractor for the solar island and Iberdrola responsible for the conventional components.2021 Financing was provided jointly by the NREA, the Global Environment Facility (GEF), and Japanese ODA loan assistance.2223 The facility operates under a Build-Operate framework, supplying electricity directly to the national grid.24 Since commissioning, it has provided valuable operational experience with hybrid solar-gas technology and contributed to Egypt’s renewable-energy transition, despite initial technical and logistical challenges.25

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