Green light for Egypt’s renewables

After several quiet years, the sector is expanding to help meet power needs

A key lesson that Abdel Fattah el-Sisi has learnt during his transition from military officer to political leader is that electricity and social stability are closely connected. To put it another way, cuts to power supply during the months of stifling summer heat make people angry and restive, providing another catalyst for social unrest. For this reason, the Sisi administration has offered international oil companies generous terms to exploit onshore and offshore reserves of natural gas. The prospect of receiving a gas delivery price higher than other countries are prepared to pay has encouraged international firms to fast-track exploration and development projects, enabling power stations