Egypt-Saudi interconnection project 60% complete

Saudi Arabia/Egypt: It has been reported that the $1.8 billion electricity interconnection project between Egypt and Saudi Arabia is 60% complete. The first phase is set to start operating in July 2025, with the interconnection allowing the exchange of up to 3000 MW of power by early 2026.

The project consists of three large high-voltage transformer stations, two of which are in Saudi Arabia, and one is in Egypt. The length of the overhead lines is almost 1350 km, in addition to other marine cables. Currently, the project is in the stage of laying 22 km long large pipes in the Red Sea. Through these pipes, eight underwater cables will connect the two countries. In March 2023, the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) announced it would provide a $103 million green loan to the Saudi Electricity Company (SEC) for the project, while in November 2021, Hitachi Energy partnered with local firms in Saudi Arabia and Egypt to implement it.