Ahmed Salem
President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi met today with Prime Minister Dr. Mostafa Madbouly and Minister of Electricity and Renewable Energy Eng. Mahmoud Esmat.
The official spokesperson for the Presidency of the Republic stated that the meeting reviewed the implementation status of the second phase of the projects to strengthen the national electricity grid.
The Minister of Electricity and Renewable Energy indicated that the total number of projects to strengthen the national electricity grid in the second phase amounts to about 105 projects.
He reviewed the status of those projects, addressing the status of connecting renewable energy projects to the electricity grid for 2027, whether solar or wind energy.
In this regard, the President stressed the need to work on improving the quality of electricity supply, raising the efficiency of the use of traditional fuels, and ensuring the stability of the national grid, with full commitment to the time plan set for implementing projects and connecting them to the grid, in support of the state’s efforts in energy transformation and achieving sustainable development.
Ambassador Mohamed El Shenawy, the official spokesperson, added that the meeting also included a review of ways to implement solar energy projects and energy storage batteries.
Increasing the contribution of renewable energy
This comes as part of a timeline that aims to raise the contribution of renewable energy to the energy mix to 45% over the next two years, in addition to expanding the construction of grid-connected energy storage plants and independent plants.
In this context, Dr. Mahmoud Esmat discussed the progress of the operation of the first phase of the 500 MW Obelisk solar power plant and the 200 MW-hour connected energy storage plant, which were connected to the grid at the beginning of this year, as well as the progress of the implementation of the second phase of the plant with a capacity of 500 MW, which is scheduled to be connected to the grid in the coming weeks, within the framework of the work plan and timetable for introducing new capacities of solar and wind energy during this summer.
The President stressed the need for periodic follow-up and review of renewable energy projects, whether in the operational or implementation phases, directing continued cooperation with all relevant institutions and bodies in the country, and partnership with the local and foreign private sector that is responsible for the implementation projects.
This comes within the framework of the national energy strategy, as well as the implementation of solar and wind energy projects and energy storage systems using local currency. The President emphasized the need to expand energy storage systems to maximize the returns from renewable energy and ensure grid stability.
The official spokesperson explained that the Minister of Electricity and Renewable Energy also reviewed during the meeting the developments in the executive status of the Energy Valley project, which is one of the largest integrated clean energy projects in the world, consisting of a generation capacity of 1.7 gigawatts of alternating current photovoltaic solar energy, which is being implemented entirely in the Minya Governorate, and supported by battery energy storage systems with a total capacity of 4 gigawatts/hour, which are geographically distributed between the governorates of Minya, Qena and Alexandria.
In this context, the President stressed the importance of these projects in promoting the electricity and renewable energy sector’s plans to spread the use of renewable energies, reduce carbon emissions and diversify energy sources, stressing that localizing industries related to renewable energy is a fundamental pillar for enhancing energy security and the green transition.
