The Ministry of Electricity has achieved a breakthrough in tackling the power outage phenomenon. The electricity production deficit has turned into a surplus for more than 11 months and is now up to about 5,000 MW.
The ministry expects to add to the surplus by May 2018, following the production of the Siemens power stations in Beni Suef, Borollos, and the New Administrative Capital, estimated at 15,000 MW.
Maher Aziz, an energy and environment consultant and member of the World Energy Council, said that the surplus of electricity production is known in all countries and is called the “revolving reserve”.
He added that Germany, France, and America have a 15% surplus in the electricity grid to achieve balance and continuity, noting that Egypt has a chance to export its electricity surplus.
“It is necessary to diversify the sources of energy production to achieve sustainability and ensure the electrical supply to all subscribers,” Aziz said.
The regulation law of petrol serves economic development plans
Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources Tarek El Molla said that the economic reform programme adopted by the state, as well as the new laws, such as the investment law and the petrol market regulation law, will serve the economic development plan and attract more investments to achieve sustainable development.
The draft petrol law would ensure the availability of networks and petrol facilities. It also aims to protect consumers, encourage investments, prevent monopolistic practices, provide information to consumers, and ensure optimal use of networks and facilities infrastructure.
Many opportunities to invest in the petrochemical industry
El Molla said that Egypt has many opportunities to invest in the petrochemical field, referring to the opening of the expansion of Misr Fertilizers Production Company (MOPCO), along with other projects in the field of petrochemicals that confirm the country’s expertise and capabilities in this sector.
He pointed out that Egypt has a promising petrochemical industry that exports to many international markets under the slogan “Made in Egypt”, achieving an economic and industrial return.
He pointed out that Egypt still has a lot to achieve in this vital field in light of its interest in maximizing the added value of natural resources and establishing transformation industries to achieve the highest return and added value.
Sukari mine: an Egyptian success story
El Molla stressed the importance of gold discoveries in Egypt, which are characterised by high revenues and intensive labour. They mainly exist in the central and southern regions of the Nile Valley, which contributes to the economic and social development of these areas
He added that the ministry currently studies, in cooperation with experienced international companies, the current state of Egypt’s mineral wealth and ways to promote it, parallel with the modernisation of the oil sector. The study aims to attract global investment to search for gold and rare metals to achieve optimal economic usage of Egypt’s mineral wealth. It also creates new jobs and contributes to the development of the South Valley area.
The Egyptian government has managed to eliminate the power outage phenomenon in the country. It also has adopted programmes to maintain and upgrade the efficiency of power stations, in addition to coordinating with the petroleum sector, to provide required fuel. The electricity reserve production capacity has reached about 6,000 MW per day.
President Abdel Fatah Al-Sisi stressed the state’s keenness to complete the sector’s urgent plan, including the establishment of new power plants, upgrading the capacity of the existing stations, enhancing the efficiency of the electricity transmission network, providing energy to new development projects, and reopening the stalled plants.
New electricity production projects worth EGP 525bn
President Al-Sisi has spoken about the challenge, effort, and unprecedented achievement in the energy sector over the last two years, in addition to the huge funds injected in the electricity sector to implement projects worth a total of EGP 525bn.
The president pointed out that the state is committed to provide electricity to all the people of Egypt, and seeks to improve the quality of service, especially as energy is a national security issue.
The president also highlighted the importance of completing the procedures of supporting the unified electricity grid within the year, through securing necessary funding for the project, amounting to about EGP 16bn.
Egypt contracts with Siemens to add 14,400 MW to the national grid
The Ministry of Electricity has contracted with Germany’s Siemens to add 14,400 MW to the national electricity grid by May 2018, with investments of €6bn, which represents about 50% of the total electricity production in Egypt.
Minister of Electricity and Renewable Energy Mohamed Shaker said that the ministry was negotiating with Siemens to add 13,200 MW, worth €6bn to be paid in installments with a three year grace period. These capacities were increased to 14,400 MW without any additional costs, after President Al-Sisi entered the negotiations and reduced the contract value.
He added that 256 Arab and international companies are involved in the implementation of the Siemens power stations in Beni Suef, the New Administrative Capital, and Borollos.
National Strategy for Electricity and producing 20% of energy from renewable resources by 2022
The National Electricity Strategy relies on five main axes: secure electricity sources, sustainability, institutional development, governance of electricity companies, create a competitive market for electricity, and reduce emissions taking into consideration climate change.
Shaker said there are five-year plans for the electricity sector until 2022, which have been developed in cooperation with the European Union. New and renewable energy is expected to reach 20% of the total energy production in Egypt by 2022, 30% by 2030, and 55% by 2050.
The ministry has also issued the feed-in tariff for renewable energy, which allows the private sector to invest in the establishment, ownership, and operation of power plants, as well as selling electricity produced from solar and wind energy.
Electricity law and the adjustment of the legislative climate for investment
Hafez Salmawy, former director of the Egyptian Electric Utility Regulatory Agency, said that the president has issued the Unified Electricity Law No. 87 of 2015, which aims to consolidate the legislation and laws related to the electricity facility in one law. The new law will encourage investment in production of electricity from renewable resources, improve energy efficiency, separate between the production transmission, and distribution of electricity.
It also maximises the role of the Egyptian Electric Utility and Consumer Protection Regulatory Agency, as well as creating a suitable climate for investment in the production, transmission, and distribution of electricity.
New High Dam water pumping and storage project to produce electricity in Ataka
In accordance with Al-Sisi’s vision to diversify sources of energy, the Ministry of Electricity has agreed, with Chinese Sinohydro, to establish a pumping and storage station in Ataka with investments of $2.5bn.
The new plant, to be implemented at Ataka, is the best technology for storing energy in the world and will have many benefits, especially in terms of network operation costs and storage safety factors. The technology also has the highest security rate of the electricity network. The new project will have the same production capacity of Egypt’s High Dam.
Head of the Hydro Power Plant Executive Authority, Mohamed Osama, said that pumping stations depend on the idea of moving water between two reservoirs at different levels.
Dabaa nuclear plant: a dream to be achieved under Al-Sisi
President Al-Sisi said that the establishment of the Dabaa nuclear plant for peaceful uses, in partnership with Russia, is a message of hope and work for Egypt and the world, stressing the strong relationship between the two countries.
Yusri Abu Shadi, chief inspector of the International Atomic Energy Agency, said that President Al-Sisi succeeded in concluding the negotiations on the Dabaa nuclear plant, noting that former presidents could not settle this issue.
For his part, Osama Ghazali, head of the Democratic Front Party, praised the steps taken by Egypt to establish the Dabaa nuclear project to produce peaceful energy and asserted that it will help Egypt make a big leap of progress in the coming years.
The discovery and development of Zohr petrol field in a record time
The Zohr field is one of the most important projects to develop natural petrol fields. It was classified by companies operating in the oil and petrol field as the largest petrol discovery in the Mediterranean and one of the largest discoveries on a global level.
“We have suffered for years from a gap between production and consumption, especially from natural petrol, and we have taken serious steps to eradicate this gap and achieve a balance between production and consumption,” said Tarek El Molla, minister of petroleum and mineral resources.
He explained that the discovery and development of the Zohr field was a huge challenge that has been achieved in record time since the signing of the agreement, in participation with Italy’s Eni.
El Molla added that Egypt aims to achieve self-sufficiency within two years and direct a part of the discovered petrol to the petrochemical industry to achieve added value.
The new field has reserves of 30tn cubic feet of petrol, equivalent to 5.5bn barrels of oil, on an area of 100 square kilometres.
