Egypt & Jordan to Double Capacity of Electricity Link

Egypt and Jordan’s electrical interconnection relationship began in 1999 with an agreed capacity of 500 megawatts. Now more than two decades later, the two countries are revising the old agreement in light of the global tech crunch and the dramatic spikes in the cost of fossil fuels. The two governments have agreed to raise the current capacity of 500 megawatts to 2000 MW in a move that will benefit the countries and the rest of the region significantly.

This link further cements Egypt’s role as a regional export hub for renewable energy, pumping out its surplus of electricity as far as Africa and Europe. Egypt is able to produce and export such large quantities of electricity thanks to the low cost of energy from power plants scattered across the country. Egypt is on track to increase the percentage of renewable energy from its electrical capacity to 42% by 2035.

This mutually-beneficial agreement is instrumental for not only securing the region’s energy supply and increasing cross-border energy transfer but also promoting the development of renewable energy sources. Propelling Egypt to the centre stage of the renewable energy arena, the country signed a historic agreement with Greece and Cyprus earlier this year to establish a massive undersea electricity interconnection cable that will link their electricity grids - a pivotal move towards connecting grids with the rest of Europe.