ENGIE completes Africa’s largest wind project ahead of schedule in Egypt’s Ras Ghareb. (Image source: ENGIE)

ENGIE has officially announced the full commissioning of the Red Sea Wind Energy wind farm in Ras Ghareb, Egypt. With a total installed capacity of 650 MW, it now stands as the largest operational wind farm in the Middle East and Africa

This significant milestone follows the completion of a 150MW expansion, delivered four months ahead of schedule. The expansion increased the total capacity from 500MW to 650MW. The project progressed through several commissioning phases: 306MW came online in December 2024, followed by 194MW in April 2025, and the final 150MW in June 2025. Initially slated for the third quarter of 2025, the grid connection of the entire 650MW capacity was successfully achieved by June 2025.

The Red Sea Wind Energy project is also notable for its health and safety standards, having completed 7 million hours of work without a lost time injury. Once fully operational, the wind farm is expected to supply renewable electricity to over one million homes, reducing carbon emissions by approximately 1.3 million tons annually.

A 25-year power purchase agreement (PPA) has been signed with the Egyptian Electricity Transmission Company (EETC), ensuring long-term revenue stability for the project.

The development was led by the Red Sea Wind Energy consortium, comprising ENGIE (35%), Orascom Construction PLC (25%), Toyota Tsusho Corporation (20%), and Eurus Energy Holdings Corporation (20%). Financing was arranged through the Japan Bank for International Corporation (JBIC), with coordination from Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation, the Norinchukin Bank, Société Générale S.A, under a Nippon Export and Investment Insurance (NEXI) cover, and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD).

Paulo Almirante, ENGIE executive vice-president in charge of renewable & flexible power, stated, "This achievement demonstrates our Group's industrial performance and our ability to develop large-scale renewable projects in record time. It also illustrates the strength of our consortium and its contribution to decarbonizing Egypt's energy mix. With the commissioning of Red Sea Wind Energy, ENGIE now operates nearly 1GW of wind power capacity in Egypt, consolidating our position as a leader in the renewable energy sector in Africa and the Middle East."

ENGIE is also advancing plans for a new wind farm exceeding 900 MW near the Red Sea Wind Energy site, continuing its development efforts with the same consortium.

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Red Sands to bolster Northern Cape grid

South Africa’s Red Sands battery energy storage project (BESS) has achieved financial close

The 153MW/612 MWh project, led by Globeleq and African Rainbow Energy, becomes Africa’s largest standalone BESS facility to reach the financial close milestone.

It follows the signing of project agreements between both companies and the Department of Electricity and Energy and the National Transmission Company South Africa (NTCSA).

Globeleq and African Rainbow Energy raised approximately around US$300mn in debt financing from Absa and Standard Bank.

Located near Upington in South Africa's Northern Cape, the Red Sands BESS will span approximately five hectares and supply electricity to NTCSA under a 15-year power purchase agreement.

The project includes significant upgrades to Eskom and NTCSA's grid infrastructure and will help ease transmission and distribution congestion in the region.

China Energy Engineering Corporation has been selected as the engineering and procurement contractor, with the BESS technology and long-term service agreement provided by Sungrow, a global leader in inverter and energy storage system solutions.

“Financial close on Red Sands BESS is a pivotal step in delivering Africa's largest standalone battery storage project,” said Globeleq's CEO Jonathan Hoffman.

"With strong backing from Absa and Standard Bank, and support from our public and private partners, we're advancing a more resilient, low-carbon power system.”

Johan Koorts, senior banker, resource and project finance at Absa, said the transaction demonstrates the bank’s commitment to Africa’s energy transition goals and will support the reliability and efficiency of electricity supply in South Africa.

Sherrill Byrne, head of project finance, energy and infrastructure at Standard Bank CIB, added: “This project is set to significantly enhance South Africa's energy requirements and contribute to grid stabilisation."

Globeleq, which led the development and financing process, will manage the project during construction and into operation through a subsidiary, Globeleq South Africa Management Services.

The project was originally developed by African Green Ventures and later acquired by Globeleq in 2023.

Red Sands BESS will be its second utility scale BESS in its renewable portfolio, adding to its 13 solar, wind and hybrid PV plus BESS plants in South Africa, Mozambique, Kenya and Egypt, plus the Menengai geothermal plant, currently under construction in Kenya.

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JA Solar named 'Top Performer'. (Image source: JA Solar)

JA Solar, a global leader in the photovoltaic (PV) industry, again is recognised as a 'Top Performer' in the 2025 PV Module Reliability Scorecard released by PV Evolution Labs (PVEL), a globally respected independent testing laboratory

The company’s DeepBlue 4.0 Pro module (model JAM66D45/LB) delivered outstanding results across multiple reliability test sequences, earning JA Solar this distinction for the tenth time.

This designation recognises JA Solar’s long-standing commitment to product quality and performance.

PVEL’s Reliability Scorecard, based on its Product Qualification Program (PQP), is widely regarded as an industry benchmark.

The program subjects PV modules to rigorous laboratory and field tests that simulate long-term operating conditions, thus helping buyers evaluate real-world durability and reliability.

In this year’s evaluation, the DeepBlue 4.0 Pro achieved strong results in a series of demanding tests, including thermal cycling, damp heat, mechanical stress, potential induced degradation, and light- and temperature-induced degradation.

The results validate the module’s ability to maintain high performance and structural integrity under a variety of environmental stressors.

“The fact that we were named a Top Performer by PVEL for the tenth time is both an honour and a responsibility,” said Aiqing Yang, executive president of JA Solar.

“It reflects our unwavering focus on quality and our drive to deliver reliable, high-efficiency products to global partners operating in increasingly diverse and challenging environments.”

The DeepBlue 4.0 Pro is already widely adopted in global markets, earning praise for its energy yield, long-term reliability, and adaptability.

Building on its success, JA Solar introduced application-specific solutions tailored to harsh climates—environments ranging from deserts to offshore to alpine to typhoon-prone regions—as well as specialised use cases such as anti-glare, lightweight, and fire-resistant modules.

With a decade of recognition from PVEL and a strong track record across global benchmarks, JA Solar is positioned to shape the next phase of the PV industry.

As the energy transition accelerates, the company is focused on advancing product reliability, expanding scenario-based solutions, and supporting the evolving needs of utility, commercial, and residential markets worldwide.

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JA Solar receives recognition for DeepBlue 4.0 Pro