Cairo:Egypt's Minister of Electricity and Renewable Energy, Mahmoud Esmat, engaged in discussions with Stefan Rouenhoff, Parliamentary State Secretary at Germany's Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, to explore ways to enhance cooperation in energy policy, renewable energy, and infrastructure development. The meeting, held at the ministry's headquarters in the New Capital, was also attended by German Ambassador to Egypt Jrgen Schulz, Egypt's newly appointed Ambassador to Germany Wael Hamed, and Mohamed Eissa, Head of the Ministry's Central Department for International Cooperation.
According to State Information Service Egypt, the meeting focused on ongoing and future joint projects, including debt-swap agreements to finance the construction of transformer substations and electricity interconnection lines as part of the NWFE programme. Discussions also involved financing projects aimed at improving clean energy supplies, such as the second phase of the hydropower plant rehabilitation project and increasing the capacity of transformers at the High Dam Power Plant and the Aswan I and II hydropower plants.
The talks reviewed developments in bilateral cooperation, highlighting the outcomes of government consultations held in Berlin last November. These included projects to strengthen the electricity grid and connect renewable energy plants, alongside a pound 17.5 million grant and a pound 50 million debt swap to support carbon emission reduction efforts and the transition to clean energy.
Both sides emphasized expanding cooperation and encouraging German investment in renewable energy projects. This includes conducting wind-speed measurements for wind farm construction and increasing energy storage capacity through high-efficiency batteries. Strengthening electricity transmission networks to accommodate additional renewable energy capacity was also discussed.
Minister Esmat highlighted the partnership between Egypt and Germany in electricity and renewable energy, noting efforts to transform Egypt's electricity grid into a smart grid. He stressed the importance of diversifying the energy mix to increase the share of renewables to 45% by 2028, in line with the national energy strategy. The minister also underscored ongoing projects in solar and wind energy and welcomed private sector partnerships to ensure energy security.