The Egyptian government expects the 1.6GW Benban solar complex that is currently under construction in the South of the country to be fully operational still this year, the Reuters news agency said citing a statement by the investment ministry in Cairo.

The giant project partly funded by the World Bank and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is set to become the world’s largest solar installation,

Some parts of the solar complex are already operating on a small scale, while other areas are still undergoing testing, the newswire said.

Egypt aims to source 20% of its electricity from renewables by 2022, rising to 42% by 2035.

“Egypt’s energy sector reforms have opened a wider door for private sector investments,” World Bank president David Malpass is quoted as saying during a visit to the Benban site alongside Egypt’s investment minister Sahar Nasr.

Egypt could generate up to 53% of its power from renewable sources by 2030, the International Renewable Energy Agency (Irena) said last year.