Egypt's electricity minister Mohamed Shaker during signing of MoU with with Gulf's power linkage project (Photo Courtesy of Electricity ministry)
Egypt, Jordan, and the GCC Interconnection Authority (GCCIA) signed an MoU and a non-disclosure agreement on a power linkage line that will connect Cairo and Amman to the GCC’s interconnection project.
GCC’s interconnection project, which extends around 200 km and operates on 400 kV with a transferred capacity of up to 1200 MW, was established in 2001, and connects Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, the UAE, and Oman.
It serves as a secure and independent alternative for power in case of any emergency, with the project allowing any Gulf countries 900 MW in less than a second in emergencies.
Egypt's electricity ministry said that Egypt has power linkages with neighbouring countries in the east and west.
Cairo is also considering power linkages with Africa to benefit from the continent’s huge potential in hydropower, the statement added.
Egypt is trying to become a regional electricity hub, exchanging electricity with nearby countries during peak demand and exporting electricity at cost to countries in need.
The country already has existing electricity links with Libya and Jordan, with a scheduled plan with Saudi Arabia to establish a line with a capacity of 3,000 MW at 500 kV.
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