Sources at Egypt’s Electricity Ministry said that the Egyptian Electricity Holding Company (EEHC) has completed 80% of the sheer annual maintenance of production units at the national level to cope with the loads expected to be in demand in the summer, Daily News Egypt reported.

While the Ministry has completed the maintenance of production plants at a capacity of 27,000 MW,  there are still units remaining that will be undergoing maintenance until April.

The total number of electricity production units across Egypt currently stands at 155 with a total output of 32,300 MW. EEHC is conducting maintenance in cooperation with private sector companies, including Siemens and General Electrics.

The ministry has developed a plan to renovate the plants to save fuel and increase efficiency instead of building new cost-demanding plants.

The Ministry of Electricity has allocated EGP 11b for the operation and maintenance of production plants and electricity distribution networks during the current year. The funds come from the proceeds of electricity bills, where EGP 7b were secured. The Ministry has also been seeking to obtain EGP 4b from the government to ensure the provision of electricity without blackouts.