Egypt, African Electrotechnical Standardization Commission sign MoU

CAIRO – 29 November 2022: Egypt and the African Electrotechnical Standardization Commission signed Tuesday an MoU on exchanging experience through training of workers, and on unifying standards.

On the Egyptian side, the country can offer training in the fields of renewable energy, and green hydrogen, in particular.

Egypt occupies the fourth place globally, in terms of the largest plants generating electricity from solar energy. The country acquired the rank after the operation of the Benban Solar Park, which has a capacity of 2,000 megawatts. 

Benban is a model of fruitful cooperation between private investors and the government, which made this project win the Government Excellence Award. 

As for the networks, more than LE1 trillion has been invested by the Egyptian Ministry of Electricity and Renewable Energy since 2014 to improve and develop electricity production, transmission and distribution throughout the country.

During the past 8 years, the Ministry of Electricity was able to develop the level of service and strengthen the Egyptian national network in a way that would enable it to export the daily reserves to the network through electrical interconnection projects with European, African and Gulf countries.

Dr. Mohamed Shaker, Minister of Electricity and Renewable Energy, revealed that the total investments in electrical projects with the aim of improving and strengthening the Egyptian national grid amounted since 2014, revealing that the total investments of future projects amount to about 520 billion pounds.

Shaker explained that the interest that the electricity and renewable energy sector has received during the past 8 years and continues until now is unprecedented, which enabled the sector to make a major leap in the Egyptian national grid in a way that enables it to enter strongly into interconnection projects and electricity transmission to countries of the world. 

Shaker added that the total investments to develop electricity production networks at the level of the Republic amounted to 355 billion pounds, pointing out that the electricity transmission network was developed, double what was done during the past 60 years, at an investment cost of 75 billion pounds, which made the Egyptian electricity transmission network become 100% of high quality.

The minister pointed out that work is still continuing to support and develop electricity distribution networks at an investment cost of 38 billion pounds, in addition to 37 billion pounds to develop and establish a control center for transmission and distribution, noting that the initiative of a decent life will greatly contribute to the speedy completion of the development of distribution networks. Thus, improving the level of service in Upper Egypt governorates and distant cities.

Shaker said that current and future investments in the field of renewable energy amounted to 70 billion pounds, in addition to 383 billion pounds investments in pumping and storage projects and the establishment of the first nuclear plant in El-Dabaa to generate electricity with a capacity of 4800 megawatts.

He also added that there are investments worth 40 billion pounds for green hydrogen projects with a capacity of 4,800 megawatts. 1,400 megawatts, and investments worth 60 billion pounds for electrical interconnection projects with neighboring countries, Cyprus, Greece, Saudi Arabia and Jordan.

Shaker explained that before 2014, there were 7 control centers in the national grid for electricity transmission, explaining that 4 regional control centers are being established in the Canal, Delta, Cairo and Alexandria, and two regional control centers have been completed in Upper and Middle Egypt at an investment cost of 5 billion and 600 million pounds.