Egypt Energy Dashboard

Grid Summary

Egypt plans to expand electricity capacity to 32,000 megawatts (MW) over the next five years. The minister, Hassan Yunis, announced that the additional capacity will come principally from 11 new thermal plants and expansions: Kureimat 2 and 3, Talkha, Tabbin, Nuberiya 3, Cairo West, Sidi Krier, el-Atf, Abu Qir, Ain Sokhna and Sharm el-Sheikh. In 2005, nearly 75 percent of Egypt's electric generating capacity was powered by natural gas, some 14 percent by petroleum products, and the remaining 12 percent by hydroelectric, mostly from the Aswan High Dam according to the IEA In pursuance of its reform agenda, the Egyptian government has set an ambitious renewable energy program to generate 500 MW of solar energy, 600 MW of wind power, and 600 MW of hydroelectric power by 2017. Egypt is building a new hybrid power plant – the Integrated Solar Combined Cycle power plant - at Kureimat as a BOOT project, which will have 30 MW of solar capacity out of a total planned capacity of 150 MW. The World Bank will provide a $327.57 million financing package from its Global Environmental Facility which will offset the cost difference between the solar capacity and thermal capacity. Egypt has also built a wind farm at Zafarana that has been operational since 2004 at an output capacity of 80 MW that is expected to increase to 160 MW during 2008...more information.

Egypt’s effort to implement the Millennium Development Goals is focusing on MDG-related areas in which the government is working with international development partners, civil society and the private sector under the aegis of the United Nations System. The last Report on the Millennium Development Goals was produced in Egypt in 2004. Data on the progress of Egypt towards MDGs indicators are included in the National Human Development Report 2006. UNDP is supporting the Government prepare The Egypt Millennium Development Goals Report 2008. The government is working with several UN agencies to raise public awareness of the MDGs with events like “Sailing the Nile for the Millennium Development Goals,” a yearly outreach project aimed at helping communities in northern Egypt build the capacity to implement the MDGs through volunteerism. The program involves eight feluccas – each representing one MDG – that stop at eight Nile communities to show residents how they can start their own volunteer projects to implement the MDGs. The “Sailing the Nile” event brings together some 18 partners, including the UN; the government; civil society and the private sector; and members of the media, academia and local communities...more information.