Egypt's government seeks to cut gas use amid heatwave, announces power cuts

Egypt is set to face regular power cuts until the middle of next week. The Egyptian government announced the measure today, Reuters reported, as it seeks to reduce gas consumption during the current heatwave. Much of the country's electricity is generated from gas. Temperatures in Egypt exceeded 40 degrees Celsius this week, and residents in several Cairo districts have already experienced power cuts.

Authorities announced the planned interruptions to supply after gas network pressure fell due to increased consumption, according to Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly. „We are currently in a period of temporary load shedding until the network returns to normal pressure,“ Madbouly said.

Egypt has significantly increased its electricity production over the past decade and has a surplus. Demand nevertheless rises sharply in summer as air conditioning is used. The government has been seeking to reduce natural gas consumption since last year in order to increase exports of the commodity.

Thanks to its natural gas reserves, Egypt has been self-sufficient since 2018 and is seeking to become a regional hub for liquefying and re-exporting it.