UK Supports Egypt in Electric Grid Readiness for E-Mobility

Egypt announced it has accepted the UK’s offer to support Egypt’s electric grid by integrating the variable renewable energy needed to supply the electrification of the transportation sector.

Egypt has already started moving towards a greener economy by producing electric vehicles and establishing electric car charging stations, which may however increase the load on the grid.

The announcement came during Egypt’s participation in the third Energy Transition Council Ministerial (ETC), established by the UK as one of the main initiatives of its COP26 presidency, to encourage select countries to set ambitious clean energy goals with the support of developed partners.

This third and final ministerial ahead of COP26 has focused on identifying short, medium and long-term priorities on renewable energy, energy efficiency, and technology and innovation in Egypt.

UK Minister of State for Climate Change, Energy and Clean Growth Anne-Marie Trevelyan, chairing the ministerial, spoke about the ETC’s progress thus far as well as a new financial offer from key international programs to support countries’ energy transitions.

Trevelyan said: “The UK wants to continue to build collaborations around that global clean energy transition. Green grids are essential to clean energy transitions. ETC partners have begun working to accelerate existing initiatives on grids at the national level and at the regional level with the African Development Bank to support our shared goals on clean energy transition and energy access.”

Egypt was represented by Dr Ahmed Mohina, the First Undersecretary for Research, Planning, and Authorities' Follow up at the Ministry of Electricity and Renewable Energy, who took part in two main discussions, the first of which revolved around the financial and technical support put forward by ETC institutions on clean power and green grids and the second around transitioning away from coal.

He explained that the ETC has been very helpful in coordinating and streamlining international support on Egypt’s Clean Energy Transition ambitions, adding that Egypt would be exploring how it can access support from ETC members/programs to deliver medium and long-term priorities that the country has identified.

Additional projects in which the ETC can support Egypt include desalinization, transforming waste into energy and promoting grid flexibility and energy efficiency among other things.

Other key participants in today’s ministerial included representatives from countries like Bangladesh, Kenya, Laos, Morocco, Nigeria, Pakistan, South Africa and many others as well as international institutions, such as the World Bank, the European Investment Bank (EIB), the African Development Bank and others.

It is important to note that the ETC, which was launched in September 2020, holds dialogues with various countries around the world and comprises leaders of international organizations, multilateral development banks and other global development partners. Its objective is to make clean power technologies a priority option for countries investing in power generation projects, with the aim of doubling the rate of global investment in clean energy by 2035 and to achieve the seventh UN Sustainable Development Goal (SDG7) of ensuring access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy for all.