A new power station opened in Egypt on Wednesday, adding 1,300 megawatts to the country’s electricity grid at a cost of  EGP9.6 bn ($1.3bn). Egypt’s Electricity Minister Mohamed Shaker and Prime Minister Ibrahim Mahlab attended the official opening.

Egypt is expected to increase its power production by 9.6 percent this summer, Shaker said at the opening.

By August, the new power plant and other projects should contribute 3,632 additional megawatts to the national grid, he added.

The station, located in Ain El-Sokhna, east of the capital, started experimental operations in March, according to a ministerial statement.

The power plant’s opening comes as part of a five-year plan (2012 – 2017) to meet demand for electricity in the country, Shaker said. The project was funded by international organisations, with contributions from the World Bank, the African Development Bank, the Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development and state-run electricity company East Delta.

Source: Ahram