Minister of Electricity and Renewable Energy Mohamed Shaker told Daily News Egypt that work is underway on the electrical interconnection project with Saudi Arabia to exchange 3,000 MW at a cost of $1.8bn, adding that the project is set to be operational by 2026. He also explained that the companies that had won contracts to implement about 1,350 km of overhead lines, as well as the Badr, Madinah, and Tabuk transfer stations are proceeding with work according to an agreed-upon timetable between the Egyptian and Saudi sides. Furthermore, Shaker mentioned that with the completion of the interconnection between Egypt and Saudi Arabia and the completion of similar projects with the countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council, Egypt will be linked to the Arabian Gulf and approximately 98% of the Arab electricity system, allowing the establishment of an Arab electricity exchange and a unified market. He also explained that studies are being conducted to strengthen and raise the existing electrical interconnection capacity with Libya, Jordan, and Sudan within the framework of his ministry's keenness to increase electrical exchange capacities with neighbouring countries. The ministry contracted with consultant Seshi to conduct a technical and economic feasibility study to raise the current capacity of the Egyptian-Jordanian interconnection line, allowing the possibility of energy exchange between Egypt, Lebanon, Syria, and Iraq through Jordan with a capacity of up to 2,000 MW. Coordination is also being made with the Libyan side to raise the capacity of the existing line to up to 2,000 MW instead of 240, and consultations are also taking place with the Sudanese side to increase exchanged electrical capacities.
