Egypt in talks with World Bank over 10 Proposed Power Projects

Egypt has drawn up a list of ten projects for generating and transferring electricity in advance of scheduled talks with a visiting World Bank delegation devoted to means of financing the projects.

The list includes a new power plant in the Upper Egyptian Assiut province and another west of New Cairo, an Electricity Ministry official told Turkey-based Anadolu Agency, adding that the two projects would have a total daily production capacity of 650 megawatts each.

Two other proposed projects aim to build electricity grids for the transfer of power to several areas across the country, added the official, preferring anonymity.

Last week, Electricity Minister Ahmed Imam said his ministry was set to sign a deal with the OPEC Fund for International Development, under which the latter would contribute $70 million to a planned power plant project in Cairo.

The plant would be built in south Helwan on the outskirts of Cairo, Imam told AA via phone.

In recent months, Egypt has suffered numerous electricity cuts due to high summertime energy consumption and shortages of the fuel needed to run the country’s power plants.

The Egyptian government is currently studying means of reducing a widening electricity production deficit, which officials put at between 2,000 and 2,500 megawatts daily.