On Thursday July 28, Egypt announced a series of measures, including planned power cuts, to address the surging energy consumption caused by the intense heat wave sweeping the country.
During a televised address on 6th August, Prime Minister Mustafa al-Madbouly called on the private sector to implement similar measures. He stated that civil servants who don’t work in public-facing roles would be required to work from home one day a week for a month to alleviate pressure on the electricity grids.
To manage the increasing energy demand nationwide, the planned power cuts are expected to last for one or two hours per day at most, and they will continue until the end of the ongoing heatwave. Some parts of the country have experienced temperatures exceeding 45 degrees Celsius this week.
The government began implementing the power cuts last week and also urged residents not to use elevators at specific times of the day.
This measure, however, sparked discontent on social media, with many people complaining that the power cuts, often during the hottest hours, lasted for more than two hours and occurred only once a week.
Egypt’s economy has been facing challenges due to soaring inflation and repeated currency devaluations, which have impacted purchasing power and the ability to import essential goods.
A similar energy crisis occurred during the presidency of Islamist Mohamed Morsi in 2013, leading to widespread anger and protests before he was ousted by the military.
In 2015, the Egyptian authorities struck a deal with Germany’s Siemens to construct three major power plants, with investments estimated at six billion euros, aimed at doubling the country’s electricity production.
Since then, Egypt has had to grapple with the depletion of its foreign exchange reserves and mounting debt, further exacerbated by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.