Egypt’s Cabinet this week announced a schedule for nationwide power cuts. This comes as a heatwave has caused electricity demand to spike amid stretched supplies of the country’s key gas power fuel (MEES, 4 August and MEES, 28 July).
Cabinet spokesman Nader Saad told local media that power cuts could continue until mid-September, adding that Cairo is looking to ameliorate the situation with imports of fuel oil to supplement natural gas within its powergen fuel mix. On 30 July Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly announced that Egypt would spend $250-300mn during August to import more fuel oil to burn at power plants in order to reduce blackouts. At recent international prices of around $500/ton this would get Egypt 500-600,000 tons of fuel oil (around 105-125,000 b/d). (CONTINUED - 463 WORDS)
