Minister of Electricity: Power Grid Support Plan Is an Ongoing Process
Cairo – Hanaa El-Sayed
In the context of the action plan and field follow-up for implementing quality standards in operations, adhering to occupational safety and health requirements, and ensuring electrical supply during the summer season, while achieving performance efficiency, improving supply quality, and guaranteeing the continuity of electric current, Dr. Mahmoud Esam, Minister of Electricity and Renewable Energy, continued his field visits to all work and production sites. He conducted a surprise field visit to the Cairo New City 220/66/22 kV substation, with a capacity of 675 MVA, to monitor progress at the station and assess on-site the quality of electrical supply in eastern Cairo areas amid rising loads and increased electricity consumption.
Dr. Mahmoud Esam inspected the station’s components, including various switchgear and disconnectors, main and auxiliary transformers, charger groups, batteries, cables, and other equipment. The tour also covered the control room, associated warehouses, and the utilization and application of equipment. He listened to a detailed explanation from the work team regarding the station and its operational scope, emphasizing the importance of continuous and ongoing communication with the National Energy Control Center. He directed a review of all procedures related to ensuring the station’s operation, the occupational safety and health plan, and the inspection of various connections within the station’s vicinity, administrative facilities, equipment storage areas, and other measures to guarantee safety, operational continuity, and maximized benefit. This is particularly important given that the Cairo New City substation undertakes various efforts and plays a key role in its geographical area. He stressed the implementation of safety measures and the application of good operational parameters, noting that field follow-up will continue in the coming phase.
He stated that the plan to support, develop, and strengthen the national electrical grid is a continuous process to keep pace with the growing demand for energy and to accommodate rising loads, which reached 39,300 MW the day before yesterday, an increase of 2,000 MW compared to the same date last year. He explained that efforts are being made based on lessons learned from the challenges faced by the electrical grid due to the unprecedented surge in loads during last summer. He affirmed that energy security and ensuring its sustainability are fundamental to the action plan and the implementation of grid reinforcement projects, whether through establishing new lines, reinforcing existing lines, building new substations, or expanding existing substations.
