Zafarana wind farm facts for kids
The Zaafarana Wind Farm is a huge power plant in Egypt that uses wind to make electricity. It's located near a place called Ras Gharib in the Red Sea Governorate. This farm was one of the very first places in Egypt to start using wind power. It covers a large area, about 120 square kilometers, which is like 12,000 football fields!
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What is the Zaafarana Wind Farm?
The Zaafarana Wind Farm is a special place where many tall wind turbines spin to create clean energy. It's an important part of Egypt's plan to use more renewable energy, which means energy that doesn't run out and is good for the environment.
How Much Power Does it Make?
This amazing farm can produce a lot of electricity. In fact, it makes about one-third of the power that the famous High Dam produces! The High Dam is a huge dam that also makes electricity, so Zaafarana's contribution is really significant. The farm has around 700 wind turbines, all working together to generate power.
When Was it Built?
Building the Zaafarana Wind Farm was a big project that happened in several steps. It started in the year 2000 and was completed in 2010, taking about ten years in total. It was built in 8 different stages. This farm used to be the largest wind farm in East Africa, but now the Gabel El Zeit Wind farm is even bigger, producing 580 megawatts of power.
Who Helped Build It?
Building such a large wind farm costs a lot of money. The Zaafarana station was built with help from several countries. They provided "soft loans," which are special loans that are easy to pay back. Countries like Denmark, Spain, Japan, and Germany helped fund the project. The total cost was about 110 million euros. The entire farm is managed by the New and Renewable Energy Authority in Egypt, which is a government group focused on clean energy.