In 1913, Philadelphia inventor Frank Shuman built the world's first solar thermal power station on the outskirts of Cairo, using Egypt's abundant sunshine to pump water from the Nile River to irrigate nearby cotton fields. The discovery of a world war and cheap oil shattered Shuman's massive replication. The dream of a solar power plant. One hundred years later, his dream was revived again.
Egypt is building Benban, the world's largest solar farm, 400 miles from Cairo. The project will cost US$2.8 billion and will open next year. Currently more than 90% of Egypt's electricity comes from oil and gas. The government plans to 42% by 2025. Electricity comes from renewable energy. Benban is expected to generate 1.8 GW of electricity to meet 4% of national electricity demand. It consists of 30 independent solar power plants, the first of which will start operating in December this year.