Egypt prepares for 8% rise in summer power demand

Egypt’s ministries of electricity and petroleum are preparing for an expected 8 per cent rise in electricity demand this summer compared with last year.

This came during a Tuesday meeting between Electricity and Renewable Energy Minister Mahmoud Esmat and Petroleum Minister Karim Badawi to review summer preparations and manage potential demand scenarios, building on last summer’s experience when peak loads reached 40,000 megawatts.

Esmat said the sector has introduced new operating patterns that reduced fuel consumption per kilowatt to below 170 grams, adding that 2,200 megawatts of renewable capacity and 1,300 megawatt hours of battery storage are set to join the grid this year.

He added that efforts are ongoing to diversify generation sources, expand renewables and deploy storage technologies to improve stability and reduce reliance on fossil fuels.

Badawi, for his part, said the petroleum ministry is coordinating closely with the electricity sector to secure summer fuel needs, noting that planning began early through multiple scenarios to ensure supply flexibility.

He added that Egypt’s LNG import system operates through regasification vessels feeding the national grid, alongside the Damietta LNG plant used for storage and re injection, in addition to domestic gas production.

Attribution: Amwal Al Ghad English