Minister of Electricity and Renewable Energy Mahmoud Esmat Saturday discussed with Chairman of China Energy Engineering Group (Energy China / CEEC) Ni Zhen and President of the Electric Power Planning & Engineering Institute (EPPEI) Hu Ming ways of strengthening cooperation in renewable energy.
This came during a meeting at the Electricity Ministry’s headquarters in the New Administrative Capital, with the participation of delegations representing the CEEC and EPPEI. The meeting tackled prospects of fostering cooperation in energy planning, and the development and modernization of Egypt’s national electricity grid to enhance its capacity to absorb new generating capabilities.
During the meeting, Esmat reviewed areas of cooperation with the Chinese CEEC group, highlighting its extensive capabilities, expertise, and track record both inside and outside China. The group is one of the largest state-owned central enterprises and a global leader in energy and infrastructure planning, design, consulting, project implementation, investment, and operation.
The meeting, attended by Egypt Electricity Holding Company Chairman Gaber Desouky, Head of the Strategic Planning and Performance Evaluation Sector at the ministry Ahmed Mehina, Egyptian Electricity Transmission Company Board Member for Studies and Designs Adel El-Hariri, and a number of senior sector officials, reviewed the strategic capabilities of the EPPEI.
The institute plays a pivotal role in supporting policymaking and translating China’s long-term energy objectives into practical policies and implementation plans. It has contributed to the preparation of China’s five-year electricity sector development plan and energy market reforms, alongside overseeing major projects, including electricity transmission corridors linking western and eastern China and hybrid clean energy complexes.
The talks highlighted similarities between the electricity networks of the two countries and approaches to integrating renewable energy on a large scale into national grids, including long-distance power transmission and the annual growth rates of solar and wind energy deployment.
The two sides reviewed requirements for the different stages of renewable energy integration based on its share in the energy mix, beginning with enhancing grid flexibility to accommodate renewable generation, progressing to the necessity of energy storage systems for balancing supply across different time periods, and extending to monthly and seasonal balancing mechanisms.
They also discussed the development of off-grid industrial clusters tailored to the specific needs of different regions. The meeting further addressed mechanisms for technical and technological cooperation in network planning and development, integrating increasing renewable energy capacities into the national grid, and exchanging expertise in areas including energy storage, transmission network development, improving electricity system efficiency, long-term energy planning, electricity market development, and strengthening energy security and grid stability.
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