Egypt-Saudi electricity link to meet peak summer demand

Egypt is reportedly planning to commission the first phase of the Egypt-Saudi Arabia electricity interconnection project before the end of the second quarter of 2026.

The final stages of technical testing for the project, with an initial capacity of 1,500 megawatts (MW), have been completed, Al Arabiya reported, citing an unidentified source.

The project aims to help meet Cairo’s rising electricity demand during the summer peak period and support its ambition to position itself as the region’s largest electricity transmission hub.

In February, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi stressed the importance of bringing the first phase online to meet peak summer demand.

The 3,000MW project includes three main converter stations in East Medina and Tabuk, Saudi Arabia and Badr City, Egypt. The stations will be interconnected by overhead lines spanning 1,350 kms. 

In 2021 Egypt and Saudi Arabia awarded $1.8 billion in contracts for the project.

Meanwhile, the second phase of the Egyptian-Sudanese electricity interconnection project is currently being finalised, the report said.

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The Toshka 2/Wadi Halfa double-circuit project aims to add 220MW, bringing the total joint exchange capacity to 300MW, the report said.

In April Egypt raised electricity prices for high-use residential consumers and commercial users, driven by the global energy crisis linked to the Iran war.

Higher ​residential and commercial users will pay 16 percent and 20 percent more on electricity charges, respectively.