Egyptian Minister of Electricity and Renewable Energy, Mohamed Shaker announced Sunday that his country seeks to become a regional center for energy exchange with Europe and Arab and African countries.
Shaker’s statements came during his meeting with the Minister of Energy, Trade and Industry of Cyprus, Natasa Pilides, and her accompanying delegation.
The meeting further discussed ways to support and enhance cooperation between the electricity and energy sectors in the two countries and follow up on the developments of the electrical interconnection project between them.
He pointed to Egypt’s clear richness in renewable energy sources, especially wind and solar energy, which qualifies it as one of the largest producers of renewable energy.
Shaker noted that his government has allocated over 7,650 square kilometers of unused land for new and renewable energy projects.
The wind atlas indicates that Egypt has the largest electrical capabilities in the Middle East and North Africa that can be produced up to about 90 gigawatts of wind and solar energy, he added.
The electricity and renewable energy sector attaches to electrical interconnection projects, he added.
The minister pointed out that contracts were signed to award the electrical interconnection project between Saudi Arabia and Egypt to exchange an amount of up to 3000 megawatts of electricity.
Shaker also noted the existing interconnection with Jordan, Libya and Sudan, in addition to the signing of memoranda of understanding to implement linkage projects with Cyprus and Greece so that Egypt becomes a regional center for energy exchange with Europe and Arab and African countries.
He reviewed the achievements that the electricity and renewable energy sector has succeeded in achieving, stressing the sector’s interest in spreading the uses of renewable energies and reducing carbon emissions.
Shaker then went over the steps taken by the Egyptian electricity and renewable energy sector in implementing several renewable energy projects, noting that the participation rate of renewable energies is planned to reach more than 42 percent by 2035.
