In a bid to alleviate crippling power cuts plaguing the nation, Egypt announced plans to import $1.18 billion worth of mazut fuel oil and natural gas.
Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly, in a televised address on Tuesday, expressed hope that these crucial shipments will arrive by July’s third week, enabling the government to completely eliminate power cuts for the remaining summer months.
The announcement comes after a surge in domestic electricity consumption during the latest heat wave prompted the government to extend daily blackouts to three hours, up from two hours previously.
These extended cuts, however, will be temporary, lasting only until the end of June. Throughout the first half of July, power cuts will revert to two hours, before a complete cessation by the latter half of the summer.
Social media in Egypt has been buzzing with complaints about the power outages. Many Egyptians, particularly teenagers preparing for high school exams, have been severely impacted. Students have resorted to studying by candlelight or in coffee shops to compensate for the blackouts.
The power crisis in Egypt stems from a confluence of factors. Falling gas production, rising demand, and a foreign currency shortage have forced the government to implement scheduled power cuts since July 2023. These cuts, initially two hours daily, were intended to ease pressure on the national grid.
“Our goal was to end load shedding by the end of 2024,” stated Prime Minister Madbouly. He emphasized that Egypt has sufficient power generation and grid capacity, but the critical issue lies in fuel availability. Increased development and population growth have significantly strained the country’s dollar reserves, making fuel imports challenging.
Madbouly also revealed a temporary disruption in natural gas supply from a neighboring country, leading to a 12-hour halt in production at a major Egyptian fertilizer company. The Prime Minister refrained from disclosing the specific country or gas field involved.
