Egypt is in talks with Saudi Arabia for an electricity interconnection project at a total investment cost of $1.56 billion and with a 3000 megawatt capacity, Electricity Minister Mohamed Shaker said on Monday at an Al-Ahram energy conference. The project is set to be operational by 2021, Shaker added, while contracts with Gulf Cooperation Council Countries regarding electricity interconnection will be signed in April.
Egypt is linked with Jordan with a 450 MW line, and with Libya through a 200 MW line.
Egypt has also been in negotiations with Cyprus and Greece over a number of energy projects. A memorandum of understanding was signed for electricity interconnection between Egypt, Cyprus and Greece, for a 3000 MW capacity line, Shaker said.
Egypt is cooperating with Chinese company State Grid to implement a super voltage network with 500 kW capacity over a total of 1,210 kilometres, the electricity minister said, the capacity of State Grid’s network will reach 1,500 kW in the second phase.
Egypt signed a memorandum of understanding with the Beijing-based Global Energy Interconnection Development and Cooperation Organisation (GEIDCO), an association that focuses on promoting sustainable development of energy, in August 2017.
The electricity ministry is focusing on the strengthening of Egypt’s electricity grid to allow for the import and export of electricity through interconnection projects, the minister said. “The more we increase and strengthen our networks, the more we can increase the electricity linkage [with other countries],” said Shaker.
