Egypt’s prime minister, Mustafa Madbouli, has called on the public to be extremely cautious with electricity use amid growing pressure on the country’s energy system following a drop in natural gas supplies linked to regional unrest.
Speaking at a cabinet meeting, Madbouli said the government was working to ensure fuel supplies for power generation but warned that the current “exceptional circumstances” required widespread energy conservation.
The disruption to gas flows comes as Egypt braces for peak summer demand, with power plants under increased strain.
The government is accelerating the deployment of two additional floating storage and regasification units (FSRUs), which will be in place by early July, bringing Egypt’s total to four.
In May, the government brought a third FSRU online to help meet domestic energy needs. The country has already reintroduced load-shedding measures, first launched in July 2023, to reduce stress on the grid.
Last summer, Egypt announced a $1.18 billion plan to import gas and cover expected shortfalls. Madbouli said last month that local gas production is at its lowest in years. It is unlikely to recover until new exploration efforts can boost output in September.
Addressing broader concerns linked to the Israel-Iran conflict, Madbouli said there was no cause for alarm over the availability of essential goods, citing sufficient reserves and government contingency planning.
Source: Al-Ahram Online
