Studies are underway for the possibility of an electricity interconnection project between Egypt and Iraq. This project is part of the government of the North African country’s plan to become a regional energy hub.
The Egyptian Electricity and Renewable Energy Minister Mohammed Shaker said that such electricity connection projects have an important role in enhancing energy security as well as increasing the use of renewable energy in the medium and long term.
Also Read: Contract awarded for solar-plus-storage project at Sukari gold mine, Egypt
Owing to its mega projects mainly in solar and wind sectors, the Arab Republic is one of the main renewable energy producing countries in the North Africa and Middle East (Mena) regions. It has an installed solar photovoltaic capacity of 1,700 MWp and 1,465 MW for wind power. This is expected to increase further in the coming years thanks to ongoing projects in Upper Egypt for solar and in the Gulf of Suez for wind.
How the Egyptian government plans to connect its grid to that of Iraq
Egypt and Iraq do not share a border, they are actually 1,427 km apart. However, since 1999 the North African country has had an electricity connection with Jordan, with which it shares an inlet in the Gulf of Aqaba, through a 13 km 400 kV submarine cable that has an exchange capacity of 550 MW.
The Egyptian government is therefore considering raising the capacity of the electrical interconnection line with Jordan. The increase in the power of the line should make it possible to transfer part of the electricity from the Jordanian electricity network to that of its Iraqi neighbor.
Other electricity interconnections
Apart from the power link with Jordan in the east, Egypt has other power links with Libya in the west and Sudan in the south.
The Arab republic is also planning other projects to establish power links with Saudi Arabia and Europe.
