Scatec has brought the second and final phase of its 1.1GW Obelisk solar and 100MW/200MWh battery energy storage project in Egypt into commercial operation.
The second phase adds 564MW of solar capacity to the 561MW first phase, which entered commercial operation in February. The complete two-hour battery system was commissioned as part of that initial phase.
Scatec described Obelisk as Africa’s largest hybrid solar and battery installation. The development is located at Nagaa Hammadi in Egypt’s Qena Governorate.
The project is expected to generate more than 3,000GWh of electricity annually and avoid more than 1.2 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions each year.
Electricity will be supplied to the Egyptian Electricity Transmission Company under a 25-year, US dollar-denominated power purchase agreement. The storage system’s dispatch is also fully contracted under the agreement, rather than relying on merchant or ancillary-services revenues.
The power purchase agreement was signed in November 2024, according to Scatec’s latest announcement. Construction began in May 2025.
Obelisk: Africa’s largest hybrid solar and battery installation
Terje Pilskog, CEO of Scatec, said: “Reaching full commercial operations at Obelisk marks a defining milestone for Scatec. Completing Africa’s largest hybrid solar and battery installation demonstrates our ability to develop, finance, and deliver large-scale renewable energy projects in emerging markets. Obelisk will supply clean, reliable power to Egypt for 25 years and is a tangible contribution to the country’s energy security and transition.”
Scatec has not disclosed the battery chemistry, cell or system supplier in its project announcements. Given its two-hour configuration and the prevailing utility-scale market, the system is likely to use lithium-ion batteries, although this has not been confirmed.
The company operates another 380MW of solar capacity at the Benban complex, taking its operational portfolio in Egypt to approximately 1.5GW.
Scatec said its near-term development portfolio in the country comprises more than 4.3GW of renewable generation and 4.1GWh of battery storage. Together, the operational and planned projects are expected to produce around 17TWh of electricity annually.
Photo: the Great Sphinx and Pyramid of Khafre at Giza, Egypt.by Spencer Davis on Unsplash. The image is illustrative and does not show Scatec’s Obelisk project, which is located at Nagaa Hammadi in Upper Egypt.
