Egypt Races to Remove Grid Barriers to Clean Energy Target

Egypt is stepping up efforts to remove one of the biggest obstacles to its clean energy plan by backing a new EGP 20 billion high-voltage transmission line that will carry more electricity from wind and solar projects into the national grid.

The project, to be built by an Egyptian-Emirati consortium, will link renewable energy plants in the Gulf of Suez to the Hawamdiya substation south of Giza, helping the country work towards its goal of generating 45 per cent of its electricity from renewable sources by 2028.

The investment focuses on making sure the electricity they produce can reach homes, businesses and industries.

Without enough transmission capacity, new wind and solar projects cannot supply their full output to the national grid, slowing the country's clean energy plan.

Transmission network becomes the next priority

The new transmission corridor is set to operate at 500 kilovolts, giving Egypt's electricity network more capacity to receive and transport renewable power from the Gulf of Suez, one of the country's richest areas for wind and solar generation.

The consortium leading the project is headed by Intelligent Globe Construction Group, which operates in Egypt and the United Arab Emirates. A government source told Asharq Business that construction is planned to last about 30 months.

Once completed, the line will allow more electricity generated by renewable projects to flow into the national grid. This will strengthen the network and improve its ability to distribute clean electricity to different parts of the country.

Egypt has invested heavily in renewable energy projects in recent years. As more wind farms and solar plants begin producing electricity, the need for stronger transmission infrastructure has become more important. Building power plants alone cannot increase renewable electricity use if the network cannot carry the additional supply.

Investment supports lasting electricity strategy

The new project forms part of Egypt's plan to modernise its electricity transmission system while increasing the share of renewable energy in the country's electricity mix.

The government wants renewable sources to account for 45 per cent of electricity generation by 2028. Reaching that target depends on expanding both electricity production and the infrastructure needed to deliver power from generating sites to consumers.

A stronger transmission network will also improve the flexibility of the electricity system by allowing larger volumes of renewable power to be integrated without putting pressure on the grid.

The investment builds on about EGP 965 billion spent on electricity generation, transmission and distribution projects over the past decade. Those investments have strengthened Egypt's electricity system and laid the foundation for more renewable energy projects.