Egypt's new capital will be solar powered

[Bengal_Tiger]

Egypt’s new capital will be solar powered, says housing minister

By Keith Walker | With REUTERS
14/03 20:24 CET




Egypt plans to build a new administrative capital east of Cairo within the next seven years costing the equivalent of 43 billion euros.

The country’s housing minister Mostafa Madboul told an international investment summit in Sharm el-Sheik that the plans for the new city includes an airport and one million housing units.

“The dependency, to a large extent, will be on renewable energy,” explained Madboul. “Ninety square kilometre of solar power fields will generate electricity for the city. We are talking about a global city. Our vision is one of the uttermost quality.”

The minister said he expected the population of greater Cairo, already one of the world’s busiest cities, to double from 20 million within 40 years.

http://www.euronews.com/2015/03/14/egypt-s-new-capital-will-be-solar-powered-says-housing-minister/

* * *

If this project succeeds then I wonder how many other solar-powered cities will be built in the future.

Also what will the consequences be for petrol-based electricity.

This is a very interesting and exciting development.


[MENTION=1201]Toramana[/MENTION]

[Bengal_Tiger]

[Khostai]

Where will Egypt get the money? Their economy is not doing that good after the "revolution"

[HalloIsBack]

Where will Egypt get the money? Their economy is not doing that good after the "revolution"

i guess from russia and eu because they have now a new president sisi who fights against islamism and beside of it from tourism, which should increase after moslembrothers are not at power anymore

moslembrothers wanted to relay nil because the current one is kufar

[Toramana]

Egypt’s new capital will be solar powered, says housing minister

By Keith Walker | With REUTERS
14/03 20:24 CET




Egypt plans to build a new administrative capital east of Cairo within the next seven years costing the equivalent of 43 billion euros.

The country’s housing minister Mostafa Madboul told an international investment summit in Sharm el-Sheik that the plans for the new city includes an airport and one million housing units.

“The dependency, to a large extent, will be on renewable energy,” explained Madboul. “Ninety square kilometre of solar power fields will generate electricity for the city. We are talking about a global city. Our vision is one of the uttermost quality.”

The minister said he expected the population of greater Cairo, already one of the world’s busiest cities, to double from 20 million within 40 years.

http://www.euronews.com/2015/03/14/egypt-s-new-capital-will-be-solar-powered-says-housing-minister/

* * *

If this project succeeds then I wonder how many other solar-powered cities will be built in the future.

Also what will the consequences be for petrol-based electricity.

This is a very interesting and exciting development.


[MENTION=1201]Toramana[/MENTION]

Dear Bengal-Tiger, I don't know whether the ambition for the new capital to be solar-powered will succeed or not but one thing I understand is that the military junta in Egypt and its backers in the Gulf are determined to revive things in Egypt for two reasons;

(1) as the petro-dollar economies will face competition due to higher oil production levels (e.g., shale oil in US and oil production in Iran should the nuclear talks succeed) the Shiekhs will be facing more pressure to find new sources/sectors of wealth generation and investment. And investment in infrastructure, real estate(e.g., look at Dubai), etc. is one avenue. One can expect that the wealthy Gulf states will likely diversify their economic activities and a significant part of their focus will be directed to the fellow Arab states esp Egypt, and likely Maghrib states (Tunesia, Moroco, Algeria, etc.).

(2) the pressure is also due to the reason that the petro-Shiekhs and the Egypt military junta is feeling pressure to improve economy failing which they may face Arab springs. Egypt is an important and populous Arab country and the petro-shiekhs are wary of political upheavals there.

The risk to such projects is ISIS like violent movements which can derail things and scare away investment. But I think Egypt has strong military and there would not be great dangers of ISIS like movements in Egypt.

Rest, one conclusion that I have arrived at lately is that capitalism is brutal and always corrupt by its very nature but as long as the economic activity goes on and the benefits are shared more widely capitalism can raise the standard of life in a country and can bring real fundamental changes in social and political structure.

The other conclusion I have arrived at is that, stability is very important and anarchic violent movements especially religious one are extremely dangerous(also esp in Muslim countries) and must be blocked at all costs.

What we need in Muslim countries and may be in other third world countries are strong secular leaders coupled with kind of guided democracy that can bring required reform in society and attract development and investment.

I think there are some chances that these projects will succeed to some degree. Let us hope the benefits are extended to the common man.

[Bengal_Tiger]

Dear Bengal-Tiger, I don't know whether the ambition for the new capital to be solar-powered will succeed or not but one thing I understand is that the military junta in Egypt and its backers in the Gulf are determined to revive things in Egypt for two reasons;

(1) as the petro-dollar economies will face competition due to higher oil production levels (e.g., shale oil in US and oil production in Iran should the nuclear talks succeed) the Shiekhs will be facing more pressure to find new sources/sectors of wealth generation and investment. And investment in infrastructure, real estate(e.g., look at Dubai), etc. is one avenue. One can expect that the wealthy Gulf states will likely diversify their economic activities and a significant part of their focus will be directed to the fellow Arab states esp Egypt, and likely Maghrib states (Tunesia, Moroco, Algeria, etc.).

(2) the pressure is also due to the reason that the petro-Shiekhs and the Egypt military junta is feeling pressure to improve economy failing which they may face Arab springs. Egypt is an important and populous Arab country and the petro-shiekhs are wary of political upheavals there.

The risk to such projects is ISIS like violent movements which can derail things and scare away investment. But I think Egypt has strong military and there would not be great dangers of ISIS like movements in Egypt.

Rest, one conclusion that I have arrived at lately is that capitalism is brutal and always corrupt by its very nature but as long as the economic activity goes on and the benefits are shared more widely capitalism can raise the standard of life in a country and can bring real fundamental changes in social and political structure.

The other conclusion I have arrived at is that, stability is very important and anarchic violent movements especially religious one are extremely dangerous(also esp in Muslim countries) and must be blocked at all costs.

What we need in Muslim countries and may be in other third world countries are strong secular leaders coupled with kind of guided democracy that can bring required reform in society and attract development and investment.

I think there are some chances that these projects will succeed to some degree. Let us hope the benefits are extended to the common man.

Thanks for sharing your opinions.

Building such a city is a demographic must for Egypt which is in some ways another Bangladesh.

Bangladesh is a fertile delta hence historically its large population which we see today. Egypt excluding the Nile delta on the banks of the aforementioned river is essentially barren desert, it is only the Nile delta which traditionally could host a large population and is densely inhabited.

The Egyptian population needs to be provided for economically or there will be huge instability in the country e.g. riots a la "Arab Spring".

[Bengal_Tiger]

Italy's Eni discovers huge gas field off Egyptian coast


Eni said the well could be one of the largest in the world

Italian energy group Eni says it has found one of the world's largest natural gas fields off Egypt's coast.

The company said the area was 1,450m (4,757 feet) beneath the surface and covered 100 sq km (39 sq miles).

It could hold as much as 30 trillion cubic feet of gas, or 5.5 billion barrels of oil equivalent, Eni said.

The company says that the Zohr field "could become one of the world's largest natural-gas finds" and help meet Egypt's gas needs for decades.
"This historic discovery will be able to transform the energy scenario of Egypt," said Claudio Descalzi, chief executive of Eni.
Eni, which has full concession rights to the area, is the biggest foreign energy firm in Africa.
In June, it signed an energy exploration deal with Egypt's oil ministry worth $2bn (£1.5bn) allowing the company to explore in Sinai, the Gulf of Suez, the Mediterranean and areas in the Nile Delta.
Eni's find follows other significant gas discoveries in the Mediterranean in recent years, including by Egypt's neighbour Israel.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-34102656

Good news, let's hope Egypt surges ahead with economic growth and propserity.


More pictures of Egypt's future capital and proposed plans: