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Arab Finance: The Egyptian government is stepping up preparations to meet an anticipated 8% increase in electricity demand this summer as compared to last year, according to a statement.
This was discussed during a meeting between Minister of Electricity and Renewable Energy Mahmoud Esmat and Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources Karim Badawi to discuss different scenarios and alternatives across the electricity and petroleum sectors to guarantee adequate fuel supplies for power plants.
The move builds on the government’s success in meeting electricity demand exceeding 40,000 megawatts (MW) in summer 2025, the highest load ever recorded on the national electricity grid.
Joint technical committees are monitoring consumption forecasts and coordinating fuel allocations to ensure sufficient supplies for power stations while supporting the country's industrial, agricultural, and urban expansion plans.
The meeting outlined efforts to lower fuel consumption per unit of electricity generated, enhance plant performance, and expand the share of renewable energy through new solar and wind power projects.
These efforts align with the state’s broader energy transition strategy to increase the contribution of renewable energy to the national energy mix while reducing reliance on fossil fuels.
Badawi emphasized that Egypt's liquefied natural gas (LNG) import infrastructure is operating efficiently through floating storage and regasification units (FSRUs) that receive imported LNG cargoes, convert them into natural gas, and inject the supplies directly into the national gas network. This is in addition to leveraging the operational capabilities of the Damietta LNG plant to store LNG shipments and release them when needed.
For his part, Esmat said the electricity sector implemented new operating models and reduced fuel consumption to less than 170 grams per kilowatt-hour.
The ministry has set a timetable to connect 2,200 MW of renewable energy capacity and 1,300 megawatt-hours (MWh) of battery energy storage systems to the national grid during 2026.
During a recent meeting with President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, Esmat revealed that about 105 projects are included in the second phase and outlined the progress of connecting renewable energy projects to the electricity grid by 2027, including solar and wind power.
