Solar hybrid power for oil and gas sites
Remote camps, wellsites and pump stations in the Western Desert and along the Gulf of Suez often run on diesel generators around the clock. A hybrid system adds solar panels and batteries to the existing generators, so they run fewer hours and burn less fuel. Your generators stay on site as backup.
Why diesel power is expensive at remote sites
A remote site pays for every litre twice: once to buy it and again to truck it in. At the diesel price used on this site (EGP 20.50 a litre since 10 March 2026, as reported; check the current price) and a typical generator consumption of about 0.3 litres per kWh, fuel alone costs about EGP 6.15 for every kWh, before delivery, servicing and overhauls.
- Fuel deliveries over long desert roads, with the cost and exposure that brings
- Generators running at low load at night, which wastes fuel and wears engines
- Fuel price changes that are hard to plan for
How a solar–diesel hybrid system works
Solar panels supply the site during the day. Batteries store surplus energy and cover the evening, cloud and dust. A hybrid controller starts the generators only when solar and batteries cannot meet the load, and runs them at an efficient load when they do run. If any part of the solar system is out of service, the generators carry the site exactly as they do today.
Where a hybrid system fits
- Accommodation camps and site offices
- Wellsites, pump stations and other remote production facilities
- Telecoms and monitoring equipment far from the grid
- Containerised or skid-mounted systems that can move with the camp
Illustrative fuel calculation
- Diesel used today
- 30,000 litres a month
- Share of energy supplied by solar
- 30%
- Diesel avoided
- about 9,000 litres a month (108,000 a year)
- Fuel value at EGP 20.50 a litre
- about EGP 2.2 million a year, before servicing savings
An illustration using the assumptions above, not a measured result. Real savings depend on the load profile, solar resource, battery size and how the generators are operated. Try your own figures in the calculator.
Industry example: a 1.4 MWp solar plant now supplies part of the power at the Esh El Mallaha petroleum facility near Hurghada, cutting about 125 tonnes of CO2 a year. Not a Reservia project.
How we size a hybrid system
- Load data: we review generator records and log or estimate the site’s hourly load.
- Solar resource and space: we assess irradiation, dust, temperature and the area available for panels.
- Reliability: we agree with your team which loads are critical and what backup they need.
- Options: we compare solar share, battery size and generator running hours, with the fuel saving of each.
- Proposal: design, equipment list, expected fuel saving and payback, with every assumption written down.
Final sizing always depends on the site’s loads, solar resource, environmental conditions and your engineering and HSE requirements.
Safety and HSE on industrial sites
- Method statements and risk assessments for every job under our QHSE policy
- Work under your permit-to-work system and site HSE rules
- Commissioning tests to IEC 62446 with full documentation
- Single-line diagrams and as-built drawings handed over with the system
Delivery, monitoring and maintenance
We design, procure, install and commission the system, then monitor solar production and generator hours. Cleaning, inspections and repairs are covered by an O&M plan with response times agreed in writing.
FAQ
Can solar replace our diesel generators completely?
Usually not at sites that run around the clock. Most remote sites keep their generators for night loads, long cloudy or dusty spells and maintenance periods. A hybrid system reduces how long they run; how much depends on the solar share and battery size, which we size from your load data.
Will a hybrid system affect the reliability of the site?
It should not. The generators stay available and the controller starts them automatically when solar and batteries cannot meet the load. We agree the critical loads and backup requirements with your team before design.
What information do you need for an assessment?
Monthly diesel use, generator sizes and running hours, the daily load pattern if you have it, the site location and the space available for panels. Generator logs or a short metering period make the estimate much more accurate.
Send us your last 12 electricity bills or your diesel records.
We'll come back with a system size, a price and a payback period. No obligation.