Egyptian Electricity Transmission Company (EETC) plans to contract with French company Alstom for the installation and supply of five transformer stations at a value of €200m.

A senior official at the Ministry of Electricity and Renewable Energy said the contract with Alstom will be signed within days. The five transformer stations have capacities ranging from 220kV to 500kV.

The official told Daily News Egypt, that the installation of the five stations will be completed over the course of six months. He According to the contract with Alstom, one station will installed at a capacity of 500 kV during two months under the emergency power plan. Three other stations will be installed with the capacity of 220 kV per station, in addition to another station with the capacity of 500 kV, within 6 months of the date of signing.

He explained that, during its meeting on Monday, the cabinet approved the progress of the EETC’s contracting procedures with Energya Power Cables, Egyptec for Cables and Networks, and the Egyptian Chinese Company for Ultra High Voltage Networks. The companies are contracted to implement projects to supply and install 220kV ground cables, and fibre-optic cables. These cables will connect a number of transformers for projects related to the implementation of the new Metro lines.

The ministerial economic group also agreed to allow the EETC to resume in the procedures of completing its contract with Elsewedy Cables to carry out 358 km-long 500 kV voltage lines.

This comes amid the ministry’s preparations for the implementation of the projects included in the urgent plan to strengthen the electricity network to meet the energy requirements in the summer.

The estimated investment budget of the EETC during fiscal year (FY) 2015/2016 is approximately EGP 2.75bn, while the investments required for implementation of projects related electricity network is approximately 13.3bn.