PM Madbouly was accompanied by Minister of Electricity and Renewable Energy Mahmoud Esmat, Minister of Local Development Manal Awad, Cairo Governor Ibrahim Saber, and several senior officials from the Electricity Ministry and the implementing consortium.
The visit came as the project entered its final testing and trial operation phase, marking a major milestone in linking Egypt and Saudi Arabia through a 3,000-megawatt high-voltage direct current (HVDC) network spanning 1,350 kilometres of overhead and submarine cables.
In a cabinet statement, Madbouly said his visit reflected the government’s commitment to overseeing the final testing and operation of this strategic station, describing it as a key component of the Egypt-Saudi power interconnection project.
He praised the efforts of the implementing companies and called for accelerating the project’s second phase to ensure the full system becomes operational by April 2026.
He also directed that the project be professionally documented to showcase the scale of work and national collaboration involved.
Madbouly noted that the project receives close attention from President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi, given its importance as a model of Arab energy cooperation, its role in improving grid efficiency and stability, and its contribution to maximizing the use of available generation capacity during peak demand.
During the inspection, the prime minister and his delegation toured several sections of the Badr station, including the control and operations centre.
They reviewed testing and commissioning procedures in preparation for connecting the project to the unified power grids of Egypt and Saudi Arabia before the end of the year.
Madbouly said the project aligns with Egypt’s vision to secure a stable national grid, improve electricity quality, and ensure a reliable power supply. He emphasized the need to meet the scheduled timelines for operation.
Officials briefed him that the Badr substation, Taba 2 switchyard, and the 320-kilometre Badr-Taba 2 overhead transmission line (500 kV) have been completed, along with the installation of marine and underground cables, electrical equipment, and AC-DC connections.
Work on control panels, cable terminations, drainage and water networks, and optical fibre infrastructure has also been finalized, paving the way for full operation and grid connection.
Madbouly described the Badr station as a cornerstone of Arab energy security and a foundation for broader interconnection among African, Asian, and European power systems.
He said the project reflects Egypt’s commitment to strengthening regional energy cooperation, enhancing grid resilience, and promoting a sustainable model for cross-border electricity exchange.
For his part, Minister Esmat said the project takes advantage of the difference in peak electricity demand between Egypt and Saudi Arabia, allowing both countries to optimize generation capacity, reduce fuel use, and operate the grid more efficiently.
He added that the connection links the region’s two largest power networks and lays the groundwork for future electricity exchange between Africa, Asia, and Europe.
Representatives of the implementing consortium thanked the prime minister for his continued follow-up and Mahmoud Esmat, minister of electricity and renewable energy, for his coordination efforts.
They noted that the project has reached 11.6 million work hours to date.
The Egypt-Saudi interconnection is part of Egypt’s wider regional energy strategy, which also includes projects with Greece and Cyprus (EuroAfrica Interconnector) and with Sudan and Libya.
It supports Egypt’s target of generating 42 percent of its electricity from renewable sources by 2035, in line with COP28 commitments.
The project consists of three high-voltage converter stations, one in eastern Saudi Arabia, one in Tabuk, and one in Badr City east of Cairo.
It is being implemented by a consortium that includes Hitachi Energy, Orascom Construction, and Madkour Group on the Egyptian side, in coordination with the Saudi Electricity Company (SEC) and regional partners.
The project is jointly managed by the Egyptian Electricity Transmission Company (EETC) and SEC, under close government supervision from both countries.
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