Electricity demand in Egypt surged to a record 39,400 megawatts during a recent heatwave, exceeding last year's peak by 1,400 MW and putting unprecedented strain on the national power grid, Prime Minister Moustafa Madbouly said Wednesday. The record consumption, sustained over several consecutive days last week, was driven by heavy air conditioning and appliance use during extreme heat. Prime Minister Madbouly said the surge placed "extraordinary pressure" on Egypt's power network but it largely withstood the load, except for an outage at Giza's Geziret Al-Dahab transformer station caused by overloaded cables. The blackout also disrupted water pumping in the area. The prime minister apologised to residents and said the incident showed the need for ministries overseeing core infrastructure — including electricity, water, transport, gas and telecoms — to prepare for worst-case scenarios and ensure multiple emergency alternatives. "With climate change, we must assume the most extreme loads for the longest possible durations," he told reporters in New Alamein, adding that the Cabinet reviewed detailed readiness and upgrade plans earlier in the day. Egypt is now bracing for August, typically the hottest month of the year. Authorities have pledged to avoid scheduled power cuts but warned that isolated local outages remain possible during periods of extreme demand. Attribution: Amwal Al Ghad English
