Mahmoud Esmat, Egypt's Minister of Electricity and Renewable Energy, and Karim Badawi, Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, met on Wednesday to assess the action plan for handling the anticipated rise in summer energy demand, amid increasing consumption and loads.
The meeting, attended by Gaber Desouky, Chairperson of the Egyptian Electricity Holding Company; Mahmoud Abdel Hamid, Managing Director of the Egyptian Natural Gas Holding Company (EGAS); Mohamed Marzouk, Chairperson of GASCO; and several senior officials from both ministries, took place within the framework of Egypt's national energy strategy. Discussions aimed to ensure electricity availability with quality, stability, and continuity across all voltage levels and uses, highlighting the close partnership between the two ministries to secure fuel for power generation plants, drawing on last summer's successes and lessons learned.
The ministers reviewed work plans, scenarios, and alternative options in the electricity and petroleum sectors to guarantee fuel supplies and the stability of electricity generation. They examined preparations for potential variables, aligning with objectives to maintain the unified national grid during peak periods. The session addressed indicators of rising energy demand compared to last year's record-high peak loads, the highest in the national grid's history. Joint committees continue monitoring future demand to secure fuel for power plants, in line with Egypt's industrial, agricultural, and urban development plans.
Efforts in the electricity sector included adjusting power plant operations, increasing fuel efficiency per unit, reducing reliance on conventional fuels, improving performance, and adding 2,000 MW of renewable energy capacity before last summer, as part of expanding renewables in the energy mix.
Esmat stated: "In the electricity sector, we have changed the operating patterns of power plants, applied quality and economic operation standards, and succeeded in reducing fuel consumption per kilowatt-hour to less than 170 grams." He added that new renewable capacities totaling 2,500 MW will connect to the grid starting next week, ahead of next summer. He emphasized implementing the national energy strategy, diversifying generation sources, expanding renewables, and using energy storage technologies to bolster grid stability.
Badawi reaffirmed integrated coordination and pre-emptive planning to meet natural gas and petroleum needs for power plants in 2026. He noted multiple scenarios developed to handle consumption changes, based on diversifying supplies and ensuring flexibility to respond to developments, building on last summer's round-the-clock efforts during Egypt's highest electricity loads ever.