The Egyptian government has unveiled plans to develop two hydroelectric projects as part of its strategic move towards cleaner energy sources, with the goal of reducing reliance 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.
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 past twenty years, Egypt’s electricity demand has more than doubled, leading to a significant increase in emissions from the power sector. This growing demand has been largely met by fossil gas generation, which currently makes up 84% of Egypt’s electricity mix. The country has set a target of achieving 42% renewable electricity by 2030, while the IEA’s Net Zero Emissions scenario outlines a global target of 60% renewable electricity by the same year.
