Egypt to reduce public lighting to save gas

Pharaonic transport of the statue of Ramses II through Cairo in the very lit night of August 24 to 25, 2006. Today, the time is rather to save energy (illustration image).

(Photo: AFP)

Text by: RFI Follow

1 min

Egypt has started to dim public lighting in parts of cities, in a bid to save its gas, which is used to run power stations.

Having become self-sufficient in gas since 2018, thanks to the fields discovered in the Mediterranean, the country however needs hard currency to finance its imports.

the solution found therefore consists in saving the gas and selling it on the international market.

Advertising

Read more

Even the famous Tahrir Square will not cut it!

In Egypt, it's time to save energy.

The country intends to take advantage of the windfall in gas prices on the world market to replenish its coffers.

Due to the energy crisis, triggered by the war in Ukraine, it could sell this surplus ten times more expensive abroad than on the state-controlled domestic market.

empty crates

It is paradoxically this same Russian-Ukrainian conflict that emptied Egypt's coffers.

The world's largest wheat importer has indeed seen the bill jump due to rising wheat prices.

And foreign exchange reserves have shrunk by around 30% since January 2022.

Selling gas on the world market is a quick solution to replenish its reserves.

Still need to be able to do it.

Because if the country became self-sufficient in gas after the discovery of the Mediterranean fields, it consumes almost all of it for its electricity.

Cheaper heating oil

By reducing public lighting, but also by accelerating the development of renewable energies, the government hopes to save 15% of its gas consumption.

Already, it has revived imports of fuel oil cheaper than gas for its power plants. 

►Also listen

: Pakistan, Japan, Chile, Egypt: how to deal with the energy crisis

Newsletter

Receive all the international news directly in your mailbox

I subscribe

Follow all the international news by downloading the RFI application

google-play-badge_EN

  • Egypt

  • Energies

  • Social issues

  • Trade and Exchanges