The Egyptian Electricity Transmission Company (EETC) postponed the first phase of 100MW electricity interconnection project with Sudan to March due to a delay in the implementation of the project by the Indian multi-national construction firm, Larsen & Toubro Limited (L&T). A source in the Ministry of Electricity told Daily News Egypt that the Indian company did not comply with the delivery date of the project, so the EETC fined the company and blacklisted it for future projects. The source pointed out that the EETC is obliged, however, to pay its dues to the Indian company in accordance with the contract. Performance and operating tests are conducted daily for a period of two to three weeks. After the tests were successful, the production capacity was connected to the electricity grid and other phases were entering successively. The L & T is implementing the aerial dual-circuit line. The interconnection begins in the first phase from Toshka 2 transformer station to the 220 kv transformer station in Aqin, Sudan. The second phase will be 500 kv. The government is seeking to complete the electricity linkage project with Sudan as soon as possible, as Egypt is keen to support the neighbouring African countries of and the Nile Basin states to meet their electricity needs. The sources pointed out that Egypt has the capability for the implementation of more electricity linkage projects with Arab and European countries, as it seeks to benefit from its surplus of production. The government is also coordinating with Saudi Arabia, Cyprus, and Greece to implement electricity grid projects within Egypt's strategic vision to be a regional hub for energy exchange.
