The government of Egypt has announced plans to develop two hydroelectric projects. This initiative is part of Egypt’s strategic shift towards cleaner energy sources, aiming to reduce dependence on fossil fuels.
The projects are planned to generate up to 2,000MW of electricity. Unlike the Jabal Ataqa project, which uses sewage-treated water, these new projects will utilize water from the Nile River. The Jabal Ataqa initiative, launched in collaboration with Chinese company Sinohydro in 2019, targets a capacity of up to 2,400MW and involves investments of approximately US $2.7bn.
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The new hydroelectric ventures underscore Egypt’s commitment to diversifying its energy mix and enhancing its renewable energy capacity. These projects, which employ advanced pumping and storage systems, represent a significant investment of US $2.5bn.
Egypt’s largest clean electricity source is hydro (7%). Wind and solar are starting to grow, comprising 5% of the country’s electricity in 2023, up from just 1% in 2015. However, this figure is still below both the global average (13%) and the regional average for Africa (6%).
Over the last two decades, Egypt’s electricity demand has more than doubled, and so have its power sector emissions. Rising demand was predominantly met by fossil gas generation which constitutes 84% of Egypt’s electricity mix. The country aims for 42% renewable electricity by 2030, while the IEA’s Net Zero Emissions scenario sets out a global target of 60% renewable electricity by 2030.
