The Egyptian Electricity Holding Company (EEHC) intends to offer a tender, during November, to contracting companies to transfer two electricity production units from Kafr Al-Batikh village in Damietta governorate to Al-Arish city in North Sinai.
Each of the two production units has a capacity of 125 MW.
Sources at the Ministry of Electricity and Renewable Energy have told Daily News Egypt that the EEHC decided to transfer the units as part of the ministry’s plan to support electricity and development in Sinai. In addition, the company would save about $130m by transferring these units instead of buying new ones.
The sources added that the winning company in the tender will undertake the transfer and installation of electricity production units only, as the EEHC engineers will carry out the operation process. The production units can work with the same efficiency for another 20 years, should periodic maintenance programmes continue.
Daily News Egypt revealed, on 12 October, that the EEHC is studying the transfer of electricity production units from existing stations in Mahmoudiya, Damietta, and Ataqa.
This measure has occurred as a way of rationalising expenses, especially as the target stations in these areas have surplus production, unlike North Sinai, which suffers from a shortage of electrical capabilities. This will also ensure that there will be no production shortage if units are transferred in the coming period, according to the sources.
They added that the cost of dismantling, transporting, installing, and operating a production unit from an existing power station to the North Sinai site represents 30% of the cost of establishing a new production station.
The sources pointed out that the EEHC seeks to provide electricity in all governorates with the highest efficiency and quality. The electricity production units nominated for transmission are regularly subject to maintenance operations, and their period of operation is appropriate and will be economical in fuel consumption.
The Ministry of Electricity and Renewable Energy announced that the total investments in electricity capabilities in North Sinai have amounted to EGP 555m during the period from 2014 to July 2020.
About 12 Bedouin communities in North Sinai have been linked to the national grid, including the project to strengthen the city of Sheikh Zuwayd with a dual-circuit line. Other projects include: a new wholesale market; lighting for the international road to Rawda; and power supply to water stations at Karm Abu Nujila and the Abu Saql neighbourhoods, a water desalination plant at Sakdra, and the West Arish water station.
