Egypt's Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly inspected underground mining operations and a 36-megawatt solar power plant during a visit to the Sukari Gold Mine (SGM) in Marsa Alam. The station provides more than 20 per cent of the site's electricity needs. The facility, Egypt's largest solar installation serving a mining project, was developed to reduce fuel consumption and emissions. Located in the sun-rich Eastern Desert, an area with the highest solar exposure, receiving up to around 10 hours of sunlight per day, the station operates up to 10 hours daily and is part of ongoing efforts to ensure energy sustainability. Ahmed Adel Abdel-Naeem, a specialist at the station, said the solar facility reduces annual diesel usage by 22 million litres and cuts carbon emissions by 60,000 tons. Plans are under way to increase its capacity to 45 megawatts and connect it to the national grid, with the aim of fully transitioning the mine to solar power. Madbouly reviewed locally manufactured mining equipment at the site's workshops, including dump truck bodies, and received a detailed briefing from Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources Karim Badawi. The minister outlined modern gold extraction methods, tunnel reinforcement techniques, quality control systems, and future plans for mine expansion under the supervision of global mining firm AngloGold Ashanti. Badawi also highlighted the mine's role in supporting small-scale production projects in the surrounding community and the recent establishment of Egypt's first mining-focused vocational school in Marsa Alam. Moreover, Deputy Director of Underground Mining Mahmoud Raslan presented safety protocols at the site, noting that Sukari Mine adheres to top international standards in occupational health and safety, outperforming global benchmarks. Attribution: Amwal Al Ghad English Subediting: M. S. Salama
