Saudi Arabia will supply power to Egypt

Saudi Arabia has been chosen by the Egyptian government to solve its energy problems. Since suffering power cuts last summer, the Cairo government has been looking to its closest partners for short-term solutions to its energy deficit. 

As one of the main drivers of the African economy, Egypt has been forced to ask for help to maintain its electricity supply. With more than 114 million inhabitants and more than 14 million tourists per year, Egypt's energy supply needs are growing steadily.

As a solution, in addition to the purchase of liquefied gas shipments, Cairo and Riyadh have agreed to build an infrastructure of power lines and undersea cables that will allow the delivery of more than 3 gigawatts (GW). During the initial test run in April, the facilities will be tested by shipping 1.5 GW. 

The project, planned for 2026, has had to be brought forward to mid-2025 due to the energy crisis in Africa's most populous country. 

Cairo had problems with power outages last summer due to oil shortages. Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly assured that there will be no power cuts this winter and next summer, as 2.5 billion dollars has been invested to guarantee power supply to the stations as part of the anticipated electricity connection with Saudi Arabia. 

The contract includes the provision of three large high voltage transformer stations (HVDC), located in Medina, Tabuk, Badr, east of Cairo, covering system studies, design and engineering, transformers, valves, high voltage equipment, technical advice and commissioning. The line connecting Egypt and Saudi Arabia will be able to exchange electricity as required.  

It will be linked by conventional power lines stretching some 1,350 kilometres, plus 22 kilometres of undersea cables. Three companies are working on the project, which will be ready for the first tests in March.

Hitachi ABB Power Grids predicts that in the future most electricity will be generated by renewable energies. The connection will facilitate the exchange of energy between the three terminals in both countries, allowing electricity to flow between the two countries for the first time. 

Hitachi ABB Power Grids partnered with Saudi Services for Electro Mechanic Works and Orascom Construction to deliver the project in Egypt. The HVDC link will enable Egypt to connect to power grids in the Arabian Gulf and Saudi Arabia to those in North Africa, improving resilience and security of power supply.