Electricity sector in Egypt

The electricity sector in Egypt has changed over time. It started with the government controlling everything, but now uses many kinds of energy like natural gas, renewables, and nuclear power. Private companies are also getting involved, which will shape the future of electricity in Egypt.

Most of Egypt's electricity still comes from fossil fuels. In 2023, they made up 88% of the country's electricity. Even though Egypt uses a lot of fossil fuels, its carbon emissions per person are still lower than the world average.

Clean electricity in Egypt mainly comes from hydropower, which provided 7% of the total electricity in 2023. Wind and solar energy are growing fast, reaching 5% of Egypt's electricity in 2023, up from just 1% in 2015. However, this is still less than the world average of 13% and the African average of 6%.

Egypt makes the most electricity from fossil gas in Africa. In 2022, it produced 45% of the continent's gas-powered electricity. Over the last 20 years, the need for electricity in Egypt has more than doubled, and most of this extra power now comes from natural gas, which made up 84% of Egypt's electricity in 2023.

Egypt wants to change this. By 2030, it plans to get 42% of its electricity from renewable sources. However, global targets suggest that 60% of electricity should come from renewables by that year. Good news is that, as of 2016, everyone in Egypt has access to electricity.

History

Egypt’s electricity sector has changed a lot since electricity first came to the country in 1893. At first, private companies controlled power generation and distribution. In 1962, the government took control, creating three state-run authorities. These were later merged into one big company in 1965, and then reorganized again in 1976.

In the late 1990s, the government allowed private companies to build and run power plants. A new agency was created in 1997 to oversee the industry. By 2001, the sector was split into three parts: generation, transmission, and distribution, creating many new companies.

By 2014, Egypt had trouble providing enough electricity, with long daily power cuts. The government cut energy costs and sped up the development of gas fields, like the Zohr field found in 2015. This helped create extra electricity and allowed Egypt to aim for more power from renewable sources in the future.

Hydropower

Egypt has four main hydroelectric plants: the Aswan Low Dam, Esna Dam, Aswan High Dam, and Naga Hamady Barrages. The Asyut Barrage hydropower plant was added in 2016. The Aswan High Dam provides almost all of Egypt’s hydroelectric power, with a capacity of 2.1 GW, but it often cannot run at full power because of low water levels. Efforts are being made to improve this plant and make it last longer.

In 2011, Egypt made 156.6 TWh of electricity, with 12.9 TWh coming from hydropower. Hydropower made up about 12% of Egypt’s total electricity capacity from 2009 to 2013. Because most big hydropower sites are already used, it has been hard for Egypt to grow this part of its energy system much. The Qattara Depression Project is the only large hydropower site not yet used, but it is very expensive and difficult to build.

Solar power

Egypt gets a lot of sunshine because it is a hot desert country, with some places seeing more than 4,000 hours of sun each year—one of the highest amounts in the world.

The country has built big solar power projects to help meet its energy needs and avoid power cuts in the summer. In 2019, it finished the Benban Solar Park, one of the largest solar parks in the world, which can power about a million homes. In 2021, Egypt agreed to build the Kom Ombo Solar Energy Complex with 32 solar projects, which will create many jobs. In 2024, Egypt started building two new solar power stations with help from the European Union. These projects support Egypt’s plan to get 42% of its electricity from clean energy by 2030. With so much sun and open space, Egypt could become an important center for clean energy in North Africa and the Middle East.

Wind power

Egypt has a lot of wind, especially along the Red Sea coast, which can be used to make electricity. In 2021, the country could make about 1,640 MW of electricity from wind. By the end of 2022, Egypt was the third country in Africa for wind power, after South Africa and Morocco.

One of Egypt’s biggest wind farms is called Gabal El Zeit. This wind farm cost about €340 million, covers 100 square kilometers, and has 300 big machines that make 580 MW of electricity.

Nuclear power

Main article: Nuclear power in Egypt

Egypt has wanted to use nuclear power since the 1960s. In 2006, the government decided to build a nuclear power plant at El Dabaa. In 2015, Egypt signed an agreement with Russia to help build this plant. In 2017, important contracts were signed to build four reactors. Construction began in 2022 and is expected to finish by 2030.

Interconnection projects

Egypt is teaming up with Cyprus and Greece on a big plan called the EuroAfrica Interconnector. This plan includes a strong electric cable that will go under the sea, connecting Egypt to Europe. Leaders from all three countries support this idea because it will help make sure everyone has reliable energy.