Saudi-Egypt electricity grid project to be finalized soon: official

The Saudi-Egyptian Electricity Grid project is close to being finalized, Governor of Saudi Arabia’s Electricity and Co-Generation Regulatory Authority (ECRA) Dr. Abdullah Al-Shehri said.

Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat, Shehri affirmed that ECRA is seeking to boost its activities by introducing international experts to help monitor some of its local operations.

“There are plans to separate distribution from the Saudi Electricity Company in the form of various companies, and to invite the private sector to promote competitiveness which improves quality,” Shehri said.

He added that ECRA would also welcome foreign investment if approved by the Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority.

Shehri affirmed that ECRA has made great progress in the domestic electricity linkage sector, adding that this is the authority’s main concern. An electricity grid between Riyadh and Jeddah is currently under construction and will be complete in 2017. This will be a high-voltage line, the first of its kind in Saudi Arabia, able to bear a load of 3,000 Megawatts.

The ECRA governor added that another linkage is planned between Medina and Tabuk, but this remains at the planning stage over viability concerns. This grid, if it goes ahead, would link central and northern parts of Saudi Arabia, and could also be used to serve the Saudi-Egyptian electricity grid project.