Working against the clock, the government is trying to solve the electricity crisis Egyptians can face so that summer in 2013 goes without shortages. Many fear that the Egyptian citizen will not forgive government officials if the situation continues on the same course next summer since the government’s attributed the delay in resolving electricity shortages to their inexperience.
Prime Minister Hesham Qandil revealed that a technical committee is being formed that includes engineering professors to draw up quick solutions to end the electricity crisis.
Qandil called on his economic team of ministers to cooperate with the committee in order to reach a medium-term plan to resolve the crisis by next summer.
He also urged the ministers of electricity and petroleum to provide assistance to the committee and to agree to a long-term plan that includes an integrated strategy to establish power plants, address the problems of population growth and electricity consumption up to 2017.
The Minister of Local Development Ahmed Zaki Abdeen said the electrical overload during rush hours has reached unprecedented increase, resulting in a deficit in electricity down by 10 percent of the total required loads. The overconsumption is attributed to high summer temperatures, use of power-intensive air conditioners and the increase of unlicensed buildings drawing power.
Consumption of electricity was up by 12 percent over the normal rates, Abdeen said.
He added that the Ministry of Electricity is currently setting a plan for the summer of 2013 through working on the power plans of Ain Sokhna ,Benha and Abu Qir to provide an additional 3000 megawatts to the electricity national grid next summer, as well as upgrading the units of the main network.
He also noted that the ministry will conduct immediate maintenance of the power plants and old units to improve their functionality and avoid any malfunctions. Abdeen stressed the necessity of the people’s cooperation with the government to rationalise the use of power.
If rationalisation is implemented properly, it could reduce consumption by about 10 to 12 percent, Abdeen added.
