The government is working to secure additional supplies of natural gas to ensure the continuity of electricity supply and prevent blackouts, Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly said.

During a press conference in the New Administrative Capital, near Cairo, he said that the Egyptian state has allocated $2.5 billion to secure its energy needs during the summer, stressing that electricity will not be cut again, according to a statement.

The prime minister added that the government is working to secure new sources of energy, including adding 4 GW of renewable energy from wind and solar, developing the efficiency of distribution and transmission networks, and allocating 7 billion Egyptian pounds ($144.2 million) to improve the efficiency of existing electricity companies.

Among the efforts to boost the electricity sector, Madbouly highlighted the electricity interconnection project between Egypt and Saudi Arabia, which aims to achieve mutual benefits between the two countries.

As part of the coordination between the electricity and petroleum sectors, he explained that there is a plan to ensure the highest efficiency in generating electricity with the least amount of fuel.

It’s worth noting that Russia’s Rosatom is currently building a 4.8 GW nuclear power plant in Egypt, the El Dabaa NPP, which is expected to be the second and largest nuclear power plant in Africa.