Toyota Tsusho, in collaboration with Eurus Energy, is expanding the capacity of the Gulf of Suez Wind Farm II in Egypt by 150MW, bringing its total capacity to 654MW.

The expansion will make the wind farm the largest in Africa in terms of installed capacity. The move aligns with Egypt's goal to increase renewable energy to 42% of its power mix by 2030.

The expansion project will see the installation of an additional 20 wind turbine generators, each with a capacity of 7.5MW - among the largest onshore wind generators globally.

The original plan involved the installation of 84 turbines, each with a capacity of 6MW.

The wind farm, located in the Gulf of El Zayt, is a joint venture between Toyota Tsusho (40%), Eurus Energy (20%), Engie (35%) and Orascom Construction (25%).

The wind farm will be operated by Red Sea Wind Energy.

Construction began in March 2023, with commercial operations for the expanded capacity expected from August 2025.

The total capital expenditure for the development of the project is estimated at $790m, including $130m for the capacity expansion.

The project’s financing was secured from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, Japan Bank for International Cooperation, Nippon Export and Investment Insurance, Norinchukin Bank,  Société Générale (France) and the Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation.

The electricity generated will be supplied to the Egyptian Electricity Transmission Company under a 25-year power purchase agreement.

The Gulf of Suez Wind Farm I, with a capacity of 262.5MW, has been operational since October 2019 in the same region. It was developed with an investment of $400m and is operated by Ras Ghareb Wind Energy.

Together these projects will provide a combined wind power capacity of 916.5MW, supporting Egypt's renewable energy expansion and economic development.