Sisi inaugurates 1,000MW-power plant in Egypt’s Asyut

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi inaugurated Tuesday a 1,000MW-power plant in Upper Egypt governorate Asyut in the attendance of Premier Sherif Ismail and Electricity Minister Mohamed Shaker.

The President also reviewed the mechanism of executing New Asyut barrage project and its hydroelectric power plant that targets improving irrigation in five governorates.

The barrage project was implemented with cost estimated at around 4 billion pounds (US$450 million) and set to be finished at the beginning of September 2017.

Minister Shaker said that the plant operates with initial capacity of 1,000 MW and set to reach 1,500MW after being completed, adding that the ministry is working to boost power plants’ capacities.

Shaker clarified that $2.7 billion have been allocated to overcome electricity crisis since the government paid a great attention to Upper Egypt.

Al-Sisi also opened a number of developmental projects through video conference notably Damietta power plant whose capacity is estimated at 500 MW.

Sisi said it was unacceptable to allocate all this money for subsidizing electricity since they should have been reduced through control networks.

He added that it was necessary to implement a comprehensive electricity mechanism, which required providing 16 billion pounds , noting that only 6 billion pounds was available for the purpose.