Saudi Arabia and Egypt Deepen Ties on Grid Interconnection Project

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Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--This month, Egyptian Minister of Electricity and Energy Dr. Hassan Yuines reviewed results concerning bilateral cooperation Saudi Arabia and Egypt in several areas, in particular a grid interconnection project.

Currently, the grid interconnecting line is 1,300 kilometers and 500 kilovolts DC for the on-shore portion. Meanwhile, a $2.5 billion contract was signed this month for the off-shore portion. The off-shore work will be established in September 2010, and the contract scope includes preparing all survey maps to find a proper path for a marine cable of about 35 kilometers to protect the nautical environment. The grid interconnection between Egypt and Saudi Arabia will enable both countries to exchange 3,000 megawatts, according to the feasibility study for the project.

In June 2010, Egyptian minister of Industry and Trade Rashid Mohammed Rashid said that there is a marked increase in the volume of trade between Egypt and Saudi Arabia, where the volume of trade exchange between the two countries is up to $3.4 billion. He added that the volume of Egyptian exports to Saudi Arabia was about $1.3 billion, and the volume of Egyptian imports from Saudi Arabia was more than $2 billion in 2009.

It is worth noting that Enpi (Cairo, Egypt), a petroleum service company, was awarded a $400 million contract last month in Saudi Arabia. For more information, view July 14, 2010, article - Egyptian Petroleum Company Awarded $400 Million Terminal Project.

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