Egypt and Sudan to open electricity interconnector as Cairo expands energy influence
Egypt and Sudan will today begin an electricity interconnection project linking their national grids.
The venture will operate at a total capacity of 50 megawatts and is expected to reach a total capacity of 240 MW by the year end. Sudan will foot about $20 million of the $31.74 million total cost for the grid, which will span 1,000 kilometres. The state-owned Egyptian Electricity Transmission Company and Indian construction firm Larsen & Toubro are tasked with the undertaking’s implementation.
The project comes as a part of Cairo’s efforts to become a regional energy hub by serving as an electricity conduit for Arab, African and European countries. Egypt already has electricity connections with Libya and Jordan and is planning to connect with Greece, Cyprus and Saudi Arabia.
The electricity interconnection project is aimed at developing infrastructure in both Egypt and Sudan and is expected to act as a precursor to economic exchange in the fields of energy and trade. Through the long-term goal of maintaining 15,000 MW of surplus power, the project could aid future development in other Nile basin countries.
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