Fatshimetry
Rationalizing electricity consumption in Egypt during the summer – Mostafa Madbouly
Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly recently announced a series of measures aimed at rationalizing electricity consumption in the country. These measures come as part of a plan to reduce power outages during the summer season, at an estimated cost of one billion dollars.
Madbouly told a press conference that most stores will now close at 10 p.m., with the exception of supermarkets which will remain open until 1 a.m. These restrictions will come into force next week. Separately, the government has also signed contracts for the import of up to 300,000 tonnes of diesel, which will arrive next week at a cost of US$180 million.
The Prime Minister explained that power cuts of three hours per day will be maintained until the second week of July, when they will be phased out. He added that the month of June was marked by three unprecedented heat waves, leading to an increase in electricity consumption of up to 36 gigawatts in a single day.
Madbouly pointed out that Egypt stopped exporting electricity three years ago due to rising domestic consumption. He apologized to the Egyptian people for the power cuts and promised that the electricity crisis would be resolved by the end of the year. He stressed that the problem lies not in electricity generation or transmission capacity, but in fuel supply.
In conclusion, the measures taken by the Egyptian government to rationalize electricity consumption aim to better manage electricity demand during periods of high heat. These actions are part of a broader strategy to ensure a reliable and stable electricity supply for the entire Egyptian population.