Cairo, December 1 (IPS) – As Europe prepares for an unusual winter due to the global energy crisis, Greece is embarking on one of Europe’s most ambitious energy projects. by connecting its grid to Egypt.
An underwater cable will transport 3,000 megawatts of electricity to power 450,000 homes from northern Egypt to Attica in Greece.
In October, the two countries agreed to build the first undersea cable in the Mediterranean to transport electricity generated from solar and wind energy in North Africa to Europe. The total length of the project is 1373 km.
The Copelouzos Group is responsible for the project and its executives met with Egyptian leaders in October to speed up the process.
The deal comes at a time when Greece, Cyprus and Israel want to invest $900 million in building a link between Europe and Asia, which will be the longest and deepest energy cable across the Mediterranean. Sea.
At a ceremony in Athens, Greek Energy Minister Costas Skrickas and his Egyptian counterpart Mohamed Shaker signed a memorandum of understanding on the project.
“This connection benefits Greece, Egypt and the European Union,” Skrickas said.
He explained that the project will help build an energy hub in the eastern Mediterranean and improve the region’s energy security.
In addition to promoting the share of renewable energy sources in the energy mix and reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the energy sector, the project is anticipated to enable the export of renewable energy from Egypt to Greece. Greece in the period of high renewable energy production and vice versa.
According to Dr. Ayman Hamza, spokesman for the Ministry of Electricity, the Egypt-Greece electricity connection project offers significant technical, economic, environmental and social benefits. The project aims to establish a strong network of connections in the Eastern Mediterranean to enhance the security and reliability of energy supplies, as well as support in the event of failures, interruptions and emergencies. emergency of the transmission network, and at the same time improve the security level of the power system. munition.
The project, scheduled to begin in 2028, is an important part of the two countries’ ongoing strategic relationship and cooperation. It will accelerate the development of the energy corridor by increasing electricity supplies to Egypt and Greece while balancing energy needs, encouraging response to the challenges of climate change and reducing energy consumption. emissions, all of which will contribute to the continued development of the corridor, Hamza told IPS.
“We have 16 memorandums of understanding regarding green hydrogen,” he explains, adding that “there is a strong demand from investors to invest in renewable energy, whether solar or wind. “.
“On the sidelines of the COP27 climate conference, it is expected that extremely important agreements on green hydrogen levels and other agreements, with great experience, will be signed,” Hamza further explained.
The possibility of Egypt increasing its reliance on renewable energy, he continued, is made possible by a large number of investors pouring money into solar and wind power. He announced that Egypt would become a regional renewable energy hub.
Egypt has power lines with Libya and Sudan, and we are working with other African organizations to take important steps to connect Africa and Europe through electrical connectivity. As Africa is a major source of energy, this will benefit both continents, the spokesman continued.
According to Dr. Farouk Al-Hakim, General Secretary of the Egyptian Society of Electrical Engineers, Egypt’s electricity exports show a surplus, generate substantial economic profits, strengthen Egypt’s political position and transform Egypt as a regional energy hub, in addition to many job opportunities created during operation and maintenance.
Al-Hakim told IPS that Egypt has a significant surplus due to the installation of three huge power plants over the past few years in the administrative capitals Burullus and Beni Suef, as well as solar plants, including Benban base, which is the largest in Africa and the Middle East.
Electricity connectivity is now bringing many benefits, he continued, especially that Europe, like most other countries worldwide, is experiencing an energy crisis due to the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Therefore, it is advisable to start with two countries that share a history with Egypt, such as Greece and Cyprus, he added.
Report of the UN IPS Office
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