To meet its soaring demand for energy, Egypt is turning to renewable sources. Its targets, if accomplished, will see it become a pioneer in the African energy landscape. But are the plans realistic?
Egypt’s population has now passed 100 million. As one of the most populous and fastest-growing nations on the African continent, providing electricity to all its citizens is a matter of priority for the Egyptian government. To ensure continuous security and stability of energy supply, Egypt has launched an energy diversification strategy, known as the 2035 Integrated Sustainable Energy Strategy (ISES), which aims to step up the development of renewable energy and energy efficiency in the country. Egypt aims to produce 20% of its electricity using renewable sources by 2022 and 42% by 2035. For the second target, the goal is for wind to provide 14%, hydropower 2%, and solar 25%.Ambition driven by necessity
This is a hugely ambitious energy plan, but it is one that is necessary for Egypt to flourish. In particular, the country wants to diversify its mix of power sources. Egypt has introduced nuclear power and it is also developing a few megaprojects that will bring a massive amount of gas into its energy mix. This is in stark contrast to 2014, when, due to electricity shortages, Egypt was forced to introduce more coal into its energy mix in order to lower its dependence on imported gas. Rising demands, the falling costs of renewable energy, and the discovery of new natural gas sources have allowed Egypt to both diversify its energy mix and become an exporter of gas. Furthermore, environmental concerns over the generation and use of coal have reinforced this ecological approach. Egypt has signed up to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), meaning that it has no option but to reduce its dependence on fossil fuels.The spill-over effect
Tapping into renewable energy will benefit Egypt in ways more than one. It will enhance the country’s economic growth and bring revenues in foreign currency. The increased usage of renewable energy is expected to lead to exporting fossil fuels or using them in other areas domestically, such as industrial production. The transition to renewable energy sources is also expected to help local businesses in Egypt, since the cost of electricity is an essential factor for business owners. While solar power and sustainable electricity are not widely available in the country yet, there is merit in Egypt’s plan to tap into renewable energy sources in the long run. More factories will lean towards sustainable renewable energy sources if it is economical, due to the cost of production and increasing price of electricity.