Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, Karim Badawi during his inspection of NATA. Photo courtesy: Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources.
This comes as the Ministry of Electricity and Renewable Energy reported on Friday a sharp increase in electricity loads — culminating in a record high of 37,600 MW on Thursday, the highest so far this year.
The unified power grid has successfully absorbed the surge, which the ministry described as "unprecedented" for this time of year, and kept the entire power system on high alert.
Minister Badawi's remarks were made during his inspection tour of the National Advanced Transmission and Automation Centre (NATA), which is affiliated with the Egyptian Natural Gas Holding Company (EGASCO), according to a statement by the Petroleum Ministry on Monday.
During his tour, Badawi inspected the operational efficiency and gas flow from local production and from the three regasification vessels currently operating at the SUMED and Sonker ports in Ain Sokhna.
The minister also emphasized that the necessary electricity, fuel, and gas were successfully secured during the recent intense heat days, crediting network operation scenarios and emergency control measures.
Moreover, he highlighted ongoing coordination between the Petroleum and Electricity Ministries, with joint teams working around the clock to assess and meet electricity gas needs, relying on imported liquified natural gas (LNG) shipments.
Minister Badawi affirmed that all the state's concerned entities continue integrated efforts to secure fuel and gas needs, ensuring energy stability and supporting economic development.
The recent surge in electricity demand follows earlier warnings from the government about pressures on the energy system.
In June, Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly urged citizens to exercise extreme caution in their electricity use amid growing pressure on the country’s energy system, following a drop in natural gas supplies linked to regional unrest.
In May, Madbouly stated that Egypt anticipates the lowest level of domestic gas production during the peak summer months of this year.
In previous summers, Egypt had faced frequent power shortages, leading the government to implement load-shedding measures starting July 2023 to ease pressure on the national grid.
Last summer, Egypt unveiled a $1.18 billion plan to import gas and offset anticipated shortages.
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