Egypt’s electricity exports to neighboring countries face growing strain amid reduced Israeli gas flows and surging domestic consumption, a source at the Ministry of Electricity told Al Manassa.
Despite the gas crunch, Egypt continues to support cross-border interconnection projects, helped by a current evening peak load of 36,000 megawatts and a morning dip to around 28,000 MW. This creates a daily surplus of 8,000 MW that can still be allocated for regional exports, the source said.
However, that buffer may disappear as summer temperatures drive power demand toward 42,000 MW. “With Israeli gas deliveries disrupted, Egypt may soon struggle to meet its own needs—potentially forcing a suspension of interconnection exports,” the source warned.
Israeli gas exports to Egypt and Jordan have been significantly curtailed following the June 13 shutdown of the Leviathan and Karish gas fields, a precautionary measure taken by Israel after its airstrikes against Iran. While Israel's Energy Minister Eli Cohen indicated a potential partial resumption of gas flow as early as Thursday, June 19, 2025, initial volumes are expected to be small as Israel prioritizes its domestic energy needs amidst ongoing regional tensions.
The interconnection scheme allows Egypt to trade electricity with its neighbors, balancing peak demand periods and reducing pressure on thermal and renewable generation. But the continuing shortfall in Israeli gas—now capped below 3.8 billion cubic feet per day—is limiting generation capacity to 36,000–37,000 MW.
That limitation has already reduced Egypt’s daily electricity exports to Jordan from 550 MW to under 400 MW in recent months. The situation has prompted concern in Amman, which also relies on Israeli gas. In response, Jordan raised its imports from Egypt to 380–400 MW in June, up from 200 MW in May, amid fears of broader supply instability.
Still, these flows remain below the transmission line’s maximum capacity. Egypt and Jordan aim to expand their power linkage to 2,000 MW in the coming years to enable greater load sharing during off-peak hours.
On the western front, Egypt’s interconnection with Libya supports up to 150 MW, though actual exchange is less than 40% of capacity. A long-term plan to scale the link to 2,000 MW hinges on political and security stabilization in Libya.
Earlier this week, Egypt’s petroleum ministry activated a gas allocation emergency plan, cutting off supplies to some industrial sectors, including fertilizer plants, to prioritize electricity generation.
Egypt has recently finalized agreements for 290 liquefied natural gas (LNG) shipments over the next 30 months, starting in July, to counter an anticipated summer electricity demand surge and a significant decline in domestic gas production from fields like Zohr. Official forecasts indicate high LNG import levels will continue until at least 2030 to prevent power outages.
In October 2024, Petroleum Minister Karim Badawi confirmed that gas output had declined by roughly 25% over two years, straining the sector’s ability to supply power plants and triggering extended blackouts across the country.
