Cairo: Egypt will cease load-shedding power cuts during the summer starting Sunday, following the arrival of critical natural gas shipments, Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly announced on Wednesday. This initiative aims to resolve a crisis that has adversely affected Egypt’s population of 106 million.
The North African nation has been grappling with power shortages exacerbated by soaring cooling demand in the summer months, with the majority of electricity generation reliant on natural gas combustion. Load-shedding involves the controlled reduction of power in specific parts of the grid to prevent system-wide failures when demand exceeds supply capacity.
In a televised press conference, Madbouly highlighted that Egypt’s daily power consumption has surged to over 37 gigawatts, marking a 12% increase from the previous year. The Ministry of Petroleum reported the arrival of five cargoes containing 155,000 cubic meters of liquefied natural gas out of a total of 21 contracted cargoes.
Also Read | EU Antitrust Regulators Scrutinize Google-Samsung Chatbot Deal for Potential Rival Hindrance
To address the ongoing power cuts, Madbouly emphasized the need to import approximately $1.18 billion worth of natural gas and mazut fuel oil. This move comes after Egypt’s cessation of LNG imports since 2018, despite diminishing natural gas reserves amid rapid population growth and urban expansion driving up energy demands.
Looking forward, the government aims to meet summer energy demands by 2025 through substantial investments in renewable energy sources, Madbouly added.
