Egypt’s Minister of Electricity and Renewable Energy, Mahmoud Esmat, has announced that the Egypt-Saudi electricity interconnection project has entered its final testing stage, with close coordination under way with Saudi counterparts to complete trial operations and begin grid connection within the coming weeks.
The announcement came during a field visit to the 500 kV high-voltage direct current (HVDC) converter station in Badr City. The facility is regarded as the first of its kind in the Middle East in terms of scale, manufacturing technology and operational capacity for cross-border power transmission.
Accompanied by senior officials from the Egyptian Electricity Transmission Company, Esmat inspected the control and operations centre and reviewed progress on equipment testing and overall system readiness ahead of synchronising the project with the unified electricity grids of both Egypt and Saudi Arabia.
The minister assessed the status of operational trials at the Badr converter station and the Sakakin-Taba 2 station, as well as the 500 kV overhead transmission line linking Badr and Taba 2, which extends approximately 320 kilometres. He also reviewed works related to submarine and underground cables, AC/DC supply systems, medium- and low-voltage connections, control panels, fibre optic networks (OPGW), and associated infrastructure.
Esmat described electricity interconnection projects as “energy bridges” that enhance strategic cooperation and promote economic integration. He stressed that the Egypt-Saudi link marks a significant step towards establishing a fully integrated regional electricity network and, ultimately, a common Arab power market.
The project is expected to strengthen grid stability, improve service quality, increase reliance on renewable energy sources, and reduce fuel consumption through more efficient generation and load management. It will also capitalise on differences in peak demand periods between the two countries, enabling more efficient use of generation capacity and more cost-effective grid operation.
With a total exchange capacity of 3,000 megawatts, the project connects three major high-voltage converter stations–two in eastern and north-western Saudi Arabia and one in Badr City, east of Cairo–via approximately 1,350 kilometres of overhead transmission lines and submarine cables across the Red Sea. It is widely viewed as a strategic milestone towards linking the electricity networks of Africa, Asia and Europe.
