Electricity, petroleum ministers review preparations to meet higher summer energy demand

Mahmoud Esmat, Minister of Electricity and Renewable Energy, and Karim Badawi, Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, held a meeting on Wednesday to review and assess the action plan as part of ongoing preparations to meet the expected increase in energy demand next summer, amid higher consumption and rising loads.

The meeting was attended by Gaber Desouky, Chairperson of the Egyptian Electricity Holding Company; Mahmoud Abdel Hamid, Managing Director of the Egyptian Natural Gas Holding Company (EGAS); Mohamed Marzouk, Chairperson of GASCO; along with a number of senior officials from both ministries.

Discussions were held within the framework of the national energy strategy and the work programmes of the Ministries of Electricity and Renewable Energy and Petroleum and Mineral Resources, aiming to ensure the availability of electricity with quality, stability, and continuity across all voltage levels and uses. The meeting reflected the close partnership, joint work, and continuous coordination between the two ministries to secure the fuel required for power generation plants, building on last summer’s success and the lessons learned.

During the meeting, the two ministers reviewed work plans, scenarios, and alternative options across the electricity and petroleum sectors to secure fuel supplies and ensure the stability and continuity of electricity generation. Preparations to address potential and evolving variables were also examined, in line with achieving targeted objectives and maintaining the stability of the unified national grid during peak periods.

The meeting also discussed indicators pointing to rising energy demand compared with last year’s peak loads, which were the highest in the history of the national grid. It further reviewed the continuous monitoring of future demand indicators by joint working committees tasked with securing fuel supplies for power plants, in line with the state’s industrial, agricultural, and urban development plans.

In addition, the meeting reviewed efforts undertaken by the electricity sector over the past period to adjust operating patterns, increase returns per unit of fuel used, reduce reliance on conventional fuels, improve performance and energy efficiency, and add 2,000 MW of renewable energy capacity before last summer, as part of broader efforts to expand the share of renewables in the energy mix.