Egypt Clears 1.8 GW of Wind Power with Golden Licences for Two Gulf of Suez Projects

Cairo, Egypt — Egypt’s Cabinet has approved golden licences for two wind power projects with a combined capacity of 1.8 gigawatts (GW) in the Red Sea Governorate and the Gulf of Suez, clearing a major regulatory hurdle for private-sector renewable energy in the country.

The approvals, granted at the Cabinet’s weekly meeting and reported on 28–29 October 2026, cover two 900-megawatt (MW) wind farms. Both projects will sell their electricity to the Egyptian Electricity Transmission Company (EETC).

Two 900 MW projects

The first licence was granted to Shadwan Wind Power, an Egyptian joint-stock company, to develop, construct, manage, operate and maintain a 900 MW wind farm in Ras Shukeir in the Red Sea Governorate. The project is scheduled for completion by 31 March 2028.

According to the Cabinet, the Shadwan project is expected to create about 2,500 jobs for engineers, workers and technicians during construction, along with 50 permanent positions during its 25-year operational period. Priority will be given to workers from the Red Sea Governorate and neighbouring areas.

The second licence covers Shokeir Wind Energy’s 900 MW wind project in the Gulf of Suez, to be developed under a build-own-operate (BOO) model. It is scheduled for completion by 1 November 2028, following a 24-month construction phase, and is expected to create about 800 jobs during construction and 25 permanent jobs over its 25-year operating life.

What a golden licence means

A golden licence, formally known as a single approval, is a government authorisation mechanism established under Egypt’s Investment Law No. 72 of 2017. It allows an eligible company to obtain one Cabinet-issued approval to establish, operate and manage a project, instead of securing separate approvals from different government authorities.

The licences are regulatory milestones rather than completed investments. As industry reporting on the approvals notes, they do not by themselves guarantee financing, construction completion or grid connection — those steps still depend on further investment and infrastructure readiness.

Part of a wider renewable push

The approvals form part of Egypt’s efforts to expand renewable energy generation through private-sector partnerships, attract investment, accelerate sustainable development and strengthen the national electricity grid. In the same week, preliminary financing was also agreed for the 1 GW Dandara solar project in Egypt, according to Renewables Now, underlining the pace of activity in the country’s clean-energy sector.

The Gulf of Suez is one of Egypt’s most attractive areas for large-scale wind power because of its strong wind resources, and the two new projects add to a growing pipeline of utility-scale wind capacity along the Red Sea coast.

Key Facts

• Combined capacity approved: 1.8 GW, from two 900 MW wind projects.
• Shadwan Wind Power, Ras Shukeir, Red Sea Governorate: completion scheduled by 31 March 2028.
• Shokeir Wind Energy, Gulf of Suez, build-own-operate model: completion scheduled by 1 November 2028.
• Both projects will sell electricity to the Egyptian Electricity Transmission Company (EETC).
• Golden licences are single Cabinet approvals under Investment Law No. 72 of 2017.
• Expected jobs: about 2,500 construction jobs at Shadwan and about 800 at Shokeir, plus permanent operating roles.

Related reading: China’s wind and solar capacity passes 2 terawatts.

Frequently asked questions

What did Egypt’s Cabinet approve?

It approved golden licences for two 900 MW wind power projects — Shadwan Wind Power in Ras Shukeir and Shokeir Wind Energy in the Gulf of Suez — with a combined capacity of 1.8 GW.

What is a golden licence?

It is a single Cabinet-issued approval under Egypt’s Investment Law No. 72 of 2017, combining the permissions a project would otherwise have to obtain separately from different authorities.

When are the projects due to be completed?

Shadwan is scheduled for completion by 31 March 2028, and Shokeir by 1 November 2028, after a 24-month construction phase.

Who will buy the electricity?

Both projects will sell their electricity output to the Egyptian Electricity Transmission Company (EETC).

Does the approval mean the wind farms are already built?

No. The licences clear a key regulatory hurdle, but financing, construction and grid connection must still follow before the projects generate electricity.