EGYPT · ENERGY
Key Facts
- The country Egypt is North Africa’s most populous country, with about 110 million people, and it runs on electricity made mostly from natural gas.
- What happened On Tuesday 27 October 2026, President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi reviewed progress toward lifting renewables to 45% of Egypt’s power mix by 2028.
- The target The 45% by 2028 goal replaced an older 42% by 2030 goal and was first stated by the electricity ministry in April 2026.
- The flagship project A 200-megawatt wind plant in the Gulf of Suez, linked to a new 500-kilovolt overhead line that the electricity ministry just contracted.
- Also on the table Battery storage, green hydrogen, a seawater desalination complex at Dabaa and local factories for black-sand minerals.
- Who was in the room Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly, Electricity Minister Mahmoud Esmat and Finance Minister Ahmed Kouchouk, said the presidency.
- Still open No current renewable share, no cost and no year-by-year path to 45% were given in the presidency statement.
The Egypt renewable energy goal was back on the president’s desk on Tuesday 27 October 2026. Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi met his prime minister and two ministers to check progress toward a 45% renewable share of the power mix by 2028.
For US readers, the story is about who supplies and finances the next wave of Egyptian power. Egypt is a major gas market and a Suez Canal state, so its fuel bill and grid plans matter to energy firms and bond holders.
What Al-Sisi Reviewed on Tuesday
Al-Sisi met Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly, Electricity and Renewable Energy Minister Mahmoud Esmat and Finance Minister Ahmed Kouchouk. Presidency spokesman Mohamed El-Shennawy said the talks covered wind, battery storage, green hydrogen, desalination and the grid.
Arabic outlets such as Al-Mal and Amwal Al Ghad carried the presidency statement on Tuesday. Daily News Egypt, Cairo’s English-language daily, reported the same 45% target.
The Gulf of Suez Wind Plant and Its Power Line
The spokesman said the meeting followed progress on a 200-megawatt wind plant in the Gulf of Suez. He tied the plant to the Egypt renewable energy goal of 45% in 2028 instead of 42% in 2030.
Esmat told the president that the ministry recently signed a contract for a new overhead line of 500 kilovolts. The line will carry wind power from the Gulf of Suez to consumption centres across the country.
Batteries, Hydrogen and Desalination
The officials reviewed battery storage projects that are built, under construction or due to start in the coming period. Storage lets a grid keep wind and solar power for the evening, when demand peaks and the sun is gone.
They also reviewed green hydrogen projects and a planned seawater desalination complex in the Dabaa area on the Mediterranean coast. Other desalination plants are being built next to existing power stations, with international partners.
Black Sands and Rare Elements
Al-Sisi asked for more local factories based on black sands, the mineral-rich beach sands of Egypt’s northern coast. He said Egypt should turn its natural resources into higher-value industrial products instead of selling them raw.
Rare elements were named alongside black sands in the presidency statement. No company, site or investment sum was mentioned.
Why Cairo Wants Renewables Sooner
Egypt’s gas output was 3.63 billion cubic feet a day in August 2026, down 10.6% from a year earlier, Youm7 reported on Saturday 24 October. Less gas at home means less fuel for power stations and a bigger import bill, which gives the Egypt renewable energy goal its urgency.
The electricity ministry said in April 2026 that it aimed for 45% by 2028 instead of 42% by 2030. A presidency meeting on 18 May 2026 repeated it, Asharq Al-Awsat reported, linking the push to high fuel prices after the Iran war.
What It Means for US Readers
US wind and solar developers, equipment makers and lenders could find work in the Egypt renewable energy goal, from grid to storage. Egypt’s finance minister said on Friday 23 October that the state had paid more than US$6.1 billion owed to foreign energy partners.
For investors in Egyptian bonds, cheaper domestic power would cut the gas import bill that weighs on dollar reserves. Travelers see no change, though a stronger grid should make summer power cuts less likely.
What Is Not Known
The presidency statement gave no current renewable share of Egypt’s electricity, so the distance to 45% is not stated. An energy professor told Asharq Al-Awsat in May that about 20% of Egyptian power already came from renewables, an estimate the ministry has not confirmed.
The statement also gave no total cost, no list of financiers, no year-by-year schedule, no start date for the 200-megawatt plant and no developer. It is also open whether the 500-kilovolt line will be ready when the plant starts.
More: Egypt news in English, every day from The Rio Times.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Egypt renewable energy goal?
The Egypt renewable energy goal is a 45% renewable share of the power mix by 2028. It replaced an earlier goal of 42% by 2030.
When did President Al-Sisi review the plan?
He met the prime minister, the electricity minister and the finance minister on Tuesday 27 October 2026. The presidency spokesman published the details the same day.
Which project was named at the 27 October meeting?
A 200-megawatt wind plant in the Gulf of Suez, plus a new 500-kilovolt line to carry its power. The electricity ministry recently signed the line contract.
Is the 45% target new?
The target is not new, because the electricity ministry stated 45% by 2028 in April 2026 and the presidency repeated it on 18 May 2026. The 27 October meeting reviewed progress and added wind, storage and desalination details.
Does this affect travelers to Egypt?
There is no change to travel rules or prices. A stronger grid and more domestic power should lower the risk of outages over time.
Sources: Amwal Al Ghad, السيسي يوجه بتعزيز أمن الطاقة ورفع مساهمة المتجددة إلى 45% بحلول 2028, 27 October 2026; Al-Mal, محطة رياح خليج السويس تسهم في الوصول بنسبة الطاقات المُتجددة إلى 45% عام 2028, 27 October 2026; Daily News Egypt, Al-Sisi reviews plan to raise renewables share to 45% by 2028, 27 October 2026; Asharq Al-Awsat, توجه مصري لخفض الاعتماد على الوقود مع تصاعد أسعاره, 18 May 2026.
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief