The ‘Magic Solar Belt’
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Whilst Egypt’s summer heat increases its electricity demand, it could also offer a solution. The south of Egypt, where Scatec’s new project is breaking ground is “in the magic solar belt,” said Elgendy. According to the Global Solar Atlas, Egypt has the fourth-highest solar PV (photovoltaic) potential of any country.
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Historically, solar energy has been hampered by its intermittency — solar panels only work during the day and large-scale battery storage has been too expensive. However, falling battery prices, combined with the lower operational and installation costs of solar power means that projects that combine solar generation with battery storage, like Obelisk, could overcome this problem.
Because of its size and prime location, Obelisk, Elgendy said, “can demonstrate value for the rest of the region, for the rest of the world, that ‘solar plus batteries’ can take away this primary weakness.”
The cost of battery storage projects has dropped by 89% between 2010 and 2023, driven by growing production capacity, especially in China. This drop, Elgendy said, means that by 2027 solar plus battery plants will be “the cheapest form of (any kind of electricity) generation.” A report by the Global Solar Council said that the availability of energy storage is a “major driver for increased solar installations globally.” However, whilst global battery storage capacity hit 363 gigawatt hours (GWh) in 2024, Africa only has 1.6 GWh.
Whilst battery prices have dropped and solar is cheap to operate, these plants still need large investments to build, and the money can be hard to find, Elgendy said, adding that the “risk premium” of investing in the developing world means that these projects are more expensive to build in Africa. The continent attracted only 3% of global energy investments in 2024.
Obelisk will receive $479.1 million in funding from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the African Development Bank, and British International Investment. The first 561 MW of solar power and the full battery capacity are due to be online in the first half of 2026, and reach the full 1.1 gigawatt capacity by the end of the year.
