Egyptians facing severe energy shortages

From Egypt Independent last week:

Power outages could be extended from two and a half hours to 6 hours aday due to fuel shortage, Minister of Electricity and Renewable Energy Mohamed Shaker told CBC Channel Wednesday.

If the fuel available to the Ministry of Electricity becomes 10 percent less than the required quantity to run power plants, deficit in the capacity of electricity will reach 3,000 megawatts, which means power outage would be from two and a half hours to three hours a day, the minister said.

He added if a shortage in fuel reached 20 percent, power outage could extend to six hours a day.

The Minister of Petroleum Sherif Ismail said more quantities of natural gas would be available between July to September and the crisis could be solved if liquid fuel was used to run power plants.

Ismail added that using available liquid fuel would decrease power outage daily to reach only one hour and a half or two hours. Ismail called for rationalizing the consumption of electricity in peak hours saying the ministry would do its best to provide the needed fuel.

And Sunday:

Cabinet sources said Prime Minister Ibrahim Mehleb is meeting on Sunday evening with the ministers of electricity and petroleum to discuss ways of ending the power cuts problem and appease public anger.

Israeli gas is not yet ready for export to Egypt, and little upsets people more than regular, extended blackouts.

Things will be heating up in Egypt this summer, quite literally.