Minister of Electricity and Renewable Energy, Mohamed Shaker, inaugurated via video link the220 kV, 150km long electrical line connecting El Quseir to Marsa Alam on Sunday. The line, which is in its pilot phase, has two mobile transformer stations in Marsa Alam at a voltage of 220/22/22 kV and capacity of 60 MVA, which link the town to the national grid for the first time. The Ministry of Electricity said that work is underway to complete electricity transmissions through the national network for the Red Sea's south-east. This covers the area El Quseir and Berenice, running through Marsa Alam. The EGP 970m project required a dual-circuit antenna line with a voltage of 220 kV at 295 km in length. The ministry has also installed four mobile units with investments of EGP 180m, at 220/22/22 kV, with two units each in Marsa Alam and Berenice, with a capacity of 60 MVA per unit. The Egyptian Electricity Transmission Company (EETC) has succeeded in implementing this line in a record six months timeframe, in cooperation with major specialised companies in the field. Shaker emphasised the importance of linking these areas with the unified national grid to achieve urban and social developments as well as encouraging tourism to the promising area. It will also reduce the current costs of connecting electricity to these areas that are currently being fed by diesel-run generating units and high-cost gas units. He explained that the average annual cost of operation, maintenance, and spare parts for these units at their current loads is about EGP 270m. Giza Systems, in partnership with EX EGEMAC has implemented 220-volt mobile transformer substations after they won a tender put forward by the EETC last year.
