Egypt leads region in wind energy

On the back of its aggressive renewables policy, Egypt has emerged as the biggest generator of wind energy in the Middle East and Africa, according to the Global Wind Energy Council.

It has installed 430mw in wind energy projects, which puts it ahead of Morocco, which nearly doubled its capacity last year alone to 253mw. Iran was third, with 91mw of installed wind power.

Hats off to Egypt, which is by far the most developed wind producer in the Middle East and Africa and only one of 11 nations in this region to have any installed wind projects at all. In 2008, its Supreme Council of Energy committed the country to produce 20 per cent of its electricity through renewable sources by 2020, including 12 per cent from wind power.

Of coruse, this is still chump change when compared with a country's modern energy needs. In 2009, Abu Dhabi alone consumed 6,542mw of power. And it is decidedly puny against the efforts in Europe, North America and Asia -- China, for example, doubled its installed capacity for the fifth year running, to 25,104mw.