Esmat: Egypt-Saudi Power Link to Launch Within Weeks After Phase-Two Trials

Egypt's Minister of Electricity and Renewable Energy Mahmoud Esmat said Egypt and Saudi Arabia will launch their 3,000 MW electrical interconnection within the coming weeks, after technical teams complete trial operations for the second phase.

Esmat announced this during talks in Riyadh with Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman, on the sidelines of the Arab Ministerial Council for Electricity meetings and the International Energy Forum. The two sides reviewed the project's progress and preparations for its official launch, and agreed to jointly announce the end of the trials and the start of full operations.

The first phase has been completed, while technical teams are finalising trials for the second phase, which adds 1,500 MW. The project includes three high-voltage converter stations in East Madinah, Tabuk in Saudi Arabia, and Badr, east of Cairo, along with about 1,350 kilometres of overhead transmission lines and subsea cables. It is being implemented by an international consortium comprising Orascom Construction, Hitachi ABB Power Grids, and the Saudi Services for Electro Mechanic Works Company (SSEM).

The link aims to exchange electricity between the two countries by taking advantage of differences in peak demand periods, improving grid stability, using surplus electricity, and reducing fuel consumption. Esmat said the project connects two of the region's largest power grids and paves the way for a broader Arab electricity market. The two sides also discussed private-sector investment in solar and wind power and technical cooperation to improve operational efficiency.

What do these terms mean?

Electrical Interconnection: Lines and stations connecting one country's power grid to another to exchange energy between them.

Converter Station: A facility in the interconnection project that converts electricity between alternating current (AC) and direct current (DC), because long-distance transmission between two grids relies on high-voltage direct current.

Subsea Cables: Cables laid beneath the seabed to transmit electricity between countries separated by bodies of water.

Megawatt: A unit of electrical power, where 3,000 megawatts equals a generation or transmission capacity of 3 gigawatts.