Egypt's Prime Minister, Mostafa Madbouly, declared a set of significant measures on Thursday to address the ongoing electricity crisis, triggered by escalating power demands due to rising temperatures.
Among the Prime Minister's decisions to tackle the electricity crisis is the implementation of an online work system for employees on Sundays throughout the month of August, specifically for government departments that do not directly deal with citizen services.
The new work system is scheduled to commence on Sunday, August 6th, and will continue until the end of the month, allowing certain government agencies and sectors to have their employees work from home online exclusively on Sundays.
Additionally, the Prime Minister emphasized the need to set air conditioning temperatures at 25 degrees Celsius to minimize electricity consumption. A crisis committee will be established to ensure the daily implementation of these measures.
Furthermore, the government's strategy to cope with the growing electricity consumption includes an agreement with the Minister of Youth and Sports to conclude sports matches before sunset, reducing electricity usage in stadiums and sports facilities. Moreover, public lighting in communal areas will be curtailed, and imports of diesel fuel amounting to $250 to $300 million will be made to balance the power grid.
Beginning from the upcoming Monday, a daily schedule of power cuts, ranging from 1 to 2 hours, will be announced to alleviate the strain on the electricity network.
Prime Minister Madbouly stressed that August is expected to have record-breaking high temperatures, clarifying that there is no shortage of natural gas.
He affirmed that gas exports will be suspended during the summer months and resumed in the winter, spring, and autumn.
To meet the escalating electricity demands, imports of diesel fuel worth $250 to $300 million will be carried out from today until the end of August to stabilize the power grid.
The Prime Minister underscored that coastal and touristic regions are crucial sources of national income and cannot endure power cuts or reductions in electricity supply. Therefore, the government has devised a plan to manage the surging electricity consumption.
On July 17th, with soaring temperatures and heightened consumption, 36 gigawatts of electricity were consumed in a single day, depleting all available gas and diesel resources. The actual consumption of natural gas and diesel during a 10-day period amounted to 144 to 146 million cubic meters.
Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly
