User:Michael Cieslik/Zafarana wind farm

The Zafarana wind farm project is located in Egypt, approximately 120 km south of the Suez Canal. The average annual wind speed is about 9.5 m/s. There are many projects have been constructed in different stages since 2001. Zafarana-1 (30 MW- 50 WTs- 600 KW), Zafarana-2 (33 MW- 55 WTs- 600 KW), Zafarana-3 (30 MW- 46 WTs-660 KW), Zafarana-4 (47 MW- 71 WTs- 660 KW), Zafarana-5 (85 MW- 100 WTs- 850 KW) and Zafarana-6 (80 MW- 94WTs- 850 KW). In 2010, the wind farm total installed capacity was 545 MW, which includes 700 wind turbines from different models (Nordex, Vestas, and Gamesa).

The wind turbines have been specially designed to cope with Egypt’s severe desert climate, sandstorms and corrosive air.

The power project was set up, and includes the establishment of a large scale wind farm in Zafarana with a capacity of 600 MW by the end of the program. The project is built in successive phases, with each phase including 60 MW capacity. The New and Renewable Energy Authority (NREA) planned that 300 MW shall be financed through the State budget; while the private sector, local and foreign investors, are encouraged to finance the other 300 MW based on the Build, Own, Operate and Transfer (BOOT) system; which means that the investor will be responsible for the complete building and operation of the plant for a certain period of time, then the ownership of the plant will be transferred to the Egyptian Government.