Egyptian Minister of Electricity, Mohamed Shaker, announced that the technical studies needed to implement the electricity linkage line between Egypt – Cyprus and Greece will last for one year. The line will start with a capacity of 1000 MW to rise to 2000 MW. So that Egypt becomes a channel for the transfer of energy from Africa to Europe, especially as Africa has huge potential of new sources of energy.
The minister had previously stated that the electric interconnection project with Saudi Arabia also serves the interconnection lines with European countries, mentioning that it also serves the electrical line between Egypt and Cyprus. He also pointed out that through the electric linkage projects, Egypt can serve as a channel for the transmission of electricity to the whole world.
The minister said that investments in the electricity sector, specifically investments in the development of transmission and distribution networks, have recently reached EGP 500 billion, or about US $ 30 billion.
He pointed out that the ministry is close to finalize a plan to develop and modernize the distribution networks, which is due to end in July. And by the end of this year, the development and modernization of the electricity transmission network will be completed, emphasizing that Egypt now has a daily reserve of electricity estimated at 25% of the energy produced.
As for the “new energies” projects, the minister affirmed that there is a plan to rely on the production of new energy by 42% by year 2035. Egypt has the project of solar power plants in Benban, which was awarded the best project by the World Bank as a certificate of confidence to invest in the energy sector in Egypt. The project has a production capacity of 1465 MW and an investment cost of US $ 2 billion.
Speaking on future power production projects, he unveiled the implementation of a plant with pumping and storage technology in the Mount Ataqa area with a capacity of 2,400 MW and an estimated investment cost of US $ 2.6 billion. And the power station of Al-Hamraween, which produces electricity with a capacity of 6000 MW, using coal technology, and the cost of investment estimated at US $ 4.4 billion, besides working on the project of AL Dabaa nuclear power plant.
