Egypt will face regular power cuts until the middle of next week as the government limits consumption of gas during a heatwave, its cabinet said on Wednesday, 19 July. Residents have reported power cuts in several areas in Cairo this week as temperatures have risen above 40°C during a heatwave that has affected southern Europe and North Africa and coincided with extreme temperatures elsewhere in the northern hemisphere. Authorities had begun load shedding, or planned power cuts, after pressure in the gas network fell due to increased consumption, the cabinet cited Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly as saying. Since last year, the government has been trying to reduce local natural gas consumption in order to free up more gas for export and earn badly needed hard currency. Egypt became self-sufficient in natural gas in late 2018 and is seeking to develop its position as a regional energy hub for liquefying gas and re-exporting it.

Source: The North Africa Journal July 21, 2023 23:28 UTC