Egypt’s Prime Minister Sherif Ismail demanded completion of ongoing technical and financial studies for the 300 MW solar power plant in Minya as a prelude to signing the final agreement of the project, Daily News Egypt reported. Ismail said the government is keen on providing all facilities to launch this project as soon as possible in line with government’s strategy to diversify sources of energy production, All Africa wrote.

The project, which will be carried out Canadian-US Sky Power, includes research of the sites in western Minya and plans for manufacturing the solar panels. It is designated to aid the transfer of solar technology to Egypt as well as creating job opportunities in building the plants and manufacturing the panels.

The government is currently giving priority to the solar power projects; many offers of establishing power plants to produce renewable energy are being studied. The cabinet has significantly amended the governing legislation of electricity production and sale in Egypt in 2015. These amendments allow the private sector to produce electricity along with government for the first time.