Electricity was cut in Cairo and several governorates on Friday due to shortages of gas provided to the power stations. The Petroleum Ministry announced that irregular gas supply will be dealt with by using heating oil, which can meet fuel demands for one week.
Power stations in 6th October, Cairo and Ismailia were disrupted due to gas pressure decline. Meanwhile, electricity was cut for almost four hours at more than 70 villages in Gharbiya governorate. Several store owners submitted collective complaints to the governorate’s administration.
Protesters in Alexandria threatened to block roads protesting against power outage in a number of districts, while in Kafr al-Sheikh, citizens refused to pay electricity bills.
There have been frequent power outages as well as water cuts in several areas in Luxor over the past two days.
Petroleum Minister Osama Kamal said heating oil has been provided to meet the fuel demands of the power stations.
However, an informed source at the electricity ministry said this will lead to a 20 percent decrease in the efficiency of the power plants, and reiterated the need to provide gas.
In Helwan, south of Cairo, cement workers threatened to shut down the motorway, if the government did not retreat from its decision to increase electricity and fuel prices, saying this would raise the price of cement by two-thirds.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
