Egypt’s Energy transition: Gas, Solar, Wind, and Nuclear Explained
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Faced with rapid population growth and increased energy dependence, Egypt is banking on an ambitious : natural gas, solar, wind, nuclear , and modernization of its grid. These strategic choices illustrate the contemporary energy and geopolitical challenges facing the country.
© GUILLAUME PERRIN / TotalEnergies - Egypt has great hopes for the natural gas operations off Port Saïd. This photo shows an offshore platform.
Context: Demographics and Energy Dependence in Egypt
Since the beginning of the 21st century, Egypt has experienced steady GDP growth of between 2% and 5% each year. However, this has been barely sufficient to cope with rapid population growth (80 million inhabitants in 2010, 116 million in 2024), compounded by the country's limited habitable area - only 7% of the territory, with the rest being desert. In this context, nearly a third of Egyptians still live below the poverty line.
Electricity consumption is rising sharply. With nearly 80% of production coming from natural gas power plants, Egypt, which was once a gas exporter, has had to import gas from Algeria, the Gulf, and Russia, to the detriment of its foreign exchange earnings and . The country's authorities have therefore made energy security a priority.
Zohr: Egypt's Largest Natural Gas Field
After examining various options, launching a nuclear project with Russia's Rosatom, and announcing a program, the Egyptian government received some very good news in 2015: Italian oil company ENI announced that it had discovered a huge natural gas field off the coast of Port Said, 1,500 meters below sea level, estimated at 850 billion cubic meters. The field was named Zohr.
Its discovery came as no surprise in this eastern part of the Mediterranean. The presence of significant deposits has been known for a long time. In the late 1990s, the large Leviathan and Tamar fields were discovered in Israeli waters. Cyprus, for its part, has asserted its rights over the Aphrodite field. The Gaza Strip could one day claim the right to exploit its maritime zone.
However, when it comes to gas exploitation, the yield of a deposit and its production consistency are never guaranteed. Although production peaked at 90 million cubic meters per day in 2019, two years after launch, it fell by more than 50% over the following five years.
The promise has not yet faded. In 2025, work began on three new wells to restart production. The hope is to reach a new peak in 2030, before the exploitable deposit is depleted around 2046.
Egypt’s Nuclear Ambitions: Al-Dabaa Power Plant Explained
In the summer of 2025, Egypt confirmed its commitment to in order to move towards greater energy independence. The first reactor at the Al-Dabaa power plant, located in the desert bordering Libya, west of Alexandria, is expected to be operational in 2028. There will eventually be four reactors, with a total capacity of 4,800 MW. The plant is being built in partnership with the Russian company Rosatom, but the government has emphasized that all managers and technicians will be Egyptian.
Solar and Wind Power: 24% Increase in Capacity by 2024
To restore balance, Egypt has also made a sustained effort in and solar energy. By 2024, these had reached a capacity of 4.6 GW, an increase of more than 24% compared to 2023. It is interesting to note that this capacity is already almost double the hydroelectric capacity provided by the three main dams on the Nile (two in Aswan and one in Esna), which is 2.8 GW. The dams on the Nile have marked Egypt's history and ensured its development for decades.
Modernizing Egypt’s Electricity Grid and Regional Interconnections
These additions to green electricity capacity require rapid modernization of Egypt's electricity grid, which is inadequate and sometimes in poor condition. Summer waves and spikes in consumption linked to tourism regularly cause difficulties, including scheduled power cuts of up to three hours a day.
Stabilizing the grid requires interconnections with neighboring countries. These will also facilitate electricity exports and thus generate foreign currency that gas exports no longer provide. Egypt is already connected to Sudan, Libya, and Jordan. Interconnections with Saudi Arabia, and beyond that with the entire Gulf region, are currently under construction. An interconnection with Europe, via Greece, is under consideration. These projects involve long land and submarine connections, which pose a major technical challenge.
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