Reuters quoted the Electricity and Energy Ministry as saying that Egypt has qualified 10 firms to compete for a project to build a 250 MW wind farm on its east coast.

The ministry said in a statement that 34 companies had submitted bids for the project on the Red Sea coast, part of Egypt's plan to generate 12% of its power from wind and 20% from renewable overall by 2020.

The wind farm is expected to start up in 2014. The ministry will choose one firm to build the wind farm on a build operate own basis.

The project developer will design, finance, construct, own and operate the power plant for 20 years to 25 years and will sell the power produced during that period to the Egyptian Electricity Transmission Company.

Officials said that Egypt's combined oil and gas reserves will last the most populous Arab country roughly three decades, encouraging its shift to alternative energy sources including nuclear and solar.

(Sourced from Reuters)