Sisi meets Minister of Electricity, acting PM

CAIRO – 30 December 2017: Egypt’s President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi met on Saturday with acting Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly and Minister of Electricity and Renewably Energy Mohamed Shaker, presidential spokesperson Bassam Rady stated.

Shaker presented the ministry’s integrated strategy for major power plant projects, saying that the ministry’s target is to ensure that 20 percent of energy use comes from renewable energy by 2022, the statement said.

He added that the power plant in the new capital is being connected with the main electric network, and that work will be completed, according to the deadlines, by mid-2018. He expressed his view that the power plant is valuable to the network, as it will produce 4,800 megawatts and offer 8,000 job opportunities.

Shaker also mentioned the latest updates in establishing the Dabaa nuclear power plant, saying that by 2026 the first unit of the plant will start working.

Rady stated that through the meeting they discussed the government’s plan to transform Egypt into the connecting point for electricity among Gulf States and North Africa through electricity interconnection lines, like the project between Egypt and Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, which is expected to start working by 2021, adding to the two lines with Jordan and Libya.

Shaker also presented the updates of converting pneumatic cables to ground cables, which aims at protecting the safety of citizens and not to endanger their lives, as well as to prevent the interruption in electricity during bad weather conditions and to avoid targeting electrical installations from sabotage.

Finally the statement added that the president confirmed the importance of developing the electricity sector and continuing improving distribution channels and control centers in order to provide a better service for the citizens all over the country. Sisi directed for the studies of electricity interconnection plans with neighboring countries to be finished, as it will have good impact on all participating parties.