Egypt pushes for renewable energy in poultry sector with solar panel initiative

EGYPT –  Egypt’s Electricity and Agriculture Ministers have unveiled plans to install solar panels on poultry farms nationwide to address the pressing challenges in the sector.

The meeting held at the Ministry of Electricity and Renewable Energy’s headquarters in Alamein was attended by Mahmoud Essmat, Minister of Electricity, and Alaa Farouk, Minister of Agriculture, along with key officials from both ministries.

The central discussion focused on enhancing the electricity supply to poultry farms, ensuring regulatory compliance, and fostering sector growth. 

This meeting is part of Prime Minister Mustafa Madbouly’s broader efforts to ensure consistent electricity supplies for poultry farms across the country.

The ministers evaluated the distribution and power sources of poultry farms across various governorates and proposed a new initiative to install solar panels on poultry farms to generate electricity during the day, supplemented by power from the national grid at night.

This initiative, backed by a funding agreement with a bank, is a key component of the Ministry of Electricity and Renewable Energy’s plan to expand renewable energy usage. 

As part of the plan, special financing incentives will be offered to farm owners, and the private sector will oversee the project’s implementation. 

The ministers stressed the need to activate this initiative to ensure reliable electricity for poultry farms.

The solar panels are expected to provide daytime electricity, with the national grid supplying power at night. 

Agriculture Minister Farouk noted that the initiative would help poultry farm owners modernize their operations and reduce costs. 

He also mentioned potential collaboration with the Ministry of Electricity and Renewable Energy to launch the solar energy initiative, which includes accessible financing through the Egyptian Agricultural Bank. 

Egypt’s poultry industry includes 10,731 licensed farms out of a total of 60,000 entities, with investments reaching EGP 100 billion (US$5.09 billion). 

In 2021, the industry produced 1.5 billion broilers and 13 billion table eggs.

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