A key element of Egypt’s massively improved power supply is the ramp-up in gas availability to fuel additional generation capacity. Egypt’s gas output hit a record 6.5bn cfd in September. Whilst output dipped slightly in October, the seasonal fall in gas demand for power plants meant that power generation consumed below 60% of gas output for the first time since early 2015.
The rapid ramp up in gas output also saw LNG exports hit their highest level since 2013 in October as the ELNG terminal at Idku on the Mediterranean shipped 521mn cfd. At the same time LNG imports via a FSRU terminal on the Red Sea were a mere 19mn cfd, the lowest monthly figure since imports began in April 2015. This means that Egypt has returned to the ranks of net gas exporters for the first time in five years. (CONTINUED - 140 WORDS)