Egypt’s energy sector recently attracted much foreign capital and many international companies to invest in transmission, production, and distribution projects. During a conference and exhibition on the future of electricity and renewable energy, held in Hurghada, state plans to implement projects in cooperation with the private sector were reviewed, along with the cooperation with the private sector, rationing consumption, and increasing local companies in new and renewable power plants and electrical power equipment.
Ahmed Abdel Wahab, president of Wadi El Nile Company that operates in energy projects, said that Egypt has the potential to manufacture more than 70% of the components of lighting systems, LED lamps, and solar cells, but the local companies must work together to maximise the value of Egyptian products.
During his speech, he said that participation applies to solar companies, as five companies can supply 1,000 LED lamps with 70% local components as a first phase if the companies have the will to produce high-efficiency products that could resudce imports and price speculation.
He stressed the need to oblige factories to use solar energy for part of their consumption, and the same must be applied to resorts and hotels, to encourage and promote the use of solar energy. Abdel Wahab highlighted an agreement with the New Valley Governorate on the installation of solar water pumps on 3,000 feddans, with plans to repeat the experiment in a number of desert areas.
He called on banks to facilitate financing procedures for individuals wishing to set up solar power plants or pumps for irrigation, as part of their community role to support projects in Egypt. Tourist resorts, hotels, and factories could create a boom in solar energy projects by installing plants or through the use of solar heaters.
Ibrahim Yassin, manager of the United Nations Development Programme’s Improving Energy Efficiency of Lighting and Other Building Appliances project, said that the project kicked off four years ago to improve the efficiency and use of energy and ration consumption, saving for the electricity sector up to 4,000 MW at a cost of $5m with plans to conclude the last phase in December.
He noted five labs for quality and efficient household appliances have been opened, while manufacturers of televisions, fans, and washing machines have decided to train their employees to explain the energy efficiency card attached to each device to customers who want to buy equipment.
Fahmy Metwally, an expert on electricity and renewable energy, reviewed the government’s plan to implement the production projects during the coming period, in which the solar power plants and wind farms constitute 10,000 MW through 2022, noting that the Ministry of Electricity will issue tenders to establish several plants with a capacity of 1,340 MW. He said that the expected production capacity of renewable energy sources through 2035 amount to 42% of total production, including 10% from solar cells, 13% from wind, 6% hydropower, and 13% from solar centres.
