Egypt and Jordan agree to more than double the electric capacity between them

The two governments have settled on a deal that will see the current capacity of 500 megawatts increased to up to 2000 MW, with Jordanian Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Saleh Al-Kharabsheh saying it “benefits both sides.”

“Our relationship with Egypt is distinguished, as the electrical connection between Jordan and Egypt began in 1999, and there is an exchange of electrical energy with capacities of up to 500 megawatts, and the new agreement may raise this capacity to 1,000 or 2,000 megawatts in the future,” Al-Kharabsheh said, at a press conference in the Jordanian capital of Amman.

“It is possible that Jordan and Egypt will eventually be able to exchange electrical energy between the countries of the region and link it to each other and with other countries such those in Europe or through Egypt to the African continent, which helps encourage and strengthen cooperation between the two countries,” he continued.

Speaking alongside Al-Kharabsheh, the Egyptian Minister of Electricity and Renewable Energy Mohamed Shaker said his country has managed to raise its electrical capacity enough to be able to export.

He added that Egypt plans to increase the percentage of renewable energy from its electrical capacity to 42 percent in 2035.

Shaker also explained that Cairo is studying a new link line with Europe through Greece and Cyprus, explaining that strengthening the link with Jordan opens the way for the exchange of capabilities.