Egypt will win the race to develop the Middle East's first large-scale solar plant, if its government has its way. The country's first solar energy plant, with a capacity of 140 megawatts, would open by the end of this year, the Egyptian electricity and energy minister on the ministry's website, according to <i>Agence France Presse</i> . It would be one of four solar plants in the world with that capacity, he added. Mr Yunis has previously said the government-run solar project south of Cairo will be linked to Egypt's national power grid. The country of more than 80 million people is seeking to produce 20 per cent of its energy from renewable sources as its oil and gas reserves dwindle. The fossil fuel is expected to last for 30 more years. After that, wind, solar and nuclear plants will have to serve most of the country's power needs. Last week, the Abu Dhabi government's clean-energy firm Masdar a contract to the French energy group and Spain's to build and operate the $600 million (Dh2.2 billion) Shams I solar plant in the emirate's western desert. Masdar touted the development as "the world's largest" concentrated solar power plant. The company said it would take . In another show of national one-upmanship, some 200 football fans gathered in a remote Ghanaian village danced and cheered yesterday while watching Ghana's World Cup victory over Serbia, reported. The live TV screening of the match was made possible by a German development aid group that had set up solar power for the village's medical clinic last week. "We have more than enough reason to celebrate. It's a double victory for us," said David Danso, who was among the residents gathered around a giant wall projector powered b solar energy. The village of Oboadaka, which is surrounded by pineapple farms, is not connected to Ghana's national grid.