Saudi-Egyptian power project in ‘advanced stages’

The sun sets behind high-voltage power lines and electricity pylons, northeast of Cairo, Egypt, March 13, 2019. (Reuters)
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  • The joint project will begin first phase operations in October 2024 with a capacity of 1,500 megawatts
  • The two countries will ultimately be able to exchange 3,000 megawatts of power at peak times

CAIRO: A $1.6 billion electrical interconnection project between Egypt and Saudi Arabia is in the advanced stages of overhead line and submarine cable design, Egyptian Electricity Transmission Co. chief Sabah Mashali said.

Mashali added that the joint project will begin first phase operations in October 2024 with a capacity of 1,500 megawatts, and that the rest of the capacity will be successively loaded for a total of 3,000 megawatts.

She added that the Egyptian Electricity Transmission Co. and the Saudi side are committed to the project, which is “of great interest” to both countries.

The two countries can exchange 3,000 megawatts of power at peak times through the project, Mashali said.

Contracts for the project were signed last October, with first phase completion taking 36 months for a total cost of 8 billion Egyptian pounds ($509 million).