Egypt Reduces Power Loads Amid Heatwave

Mostafa Madbouly

CAIRO, Jul 20 (NNN-MENA) – Egypt has started power load reduction temporarily, because of the excessive pressure on the country’s grid during the ongoing heatwave, the Egyptian cabinet announced in a statement, yesterday.

In the statement, Prime Minister, Mostafa Madbouly, said, the government started reducing electrical loads on Monday “because of the severe heatwave and the consequent large increase in the consumption of electrical energy.”

He explained that, the increasing power consumption nationwide led to high consumption of the gas used in power generation, causing further pressure on the power networks.

“We are currently in a period of temporary load reduction until normal pressures on the network are restored,” said the prime minister, noting, the measures will continue in rotation until the middle of next week.

Power cuts have been seen in several areas in Egypt’s capital, Cairo, over the past couple of days.

Further rotational power outages are expected to continue for the coming few days, as indicated in the government statement.

Egypt hasn’t faced a power shortage for years, since it reached natural gas self-sufficiency and expanded the construction of power plants nationwide.