Electricity Minister Mohamed Shaker has revealed that Egypt has spent EGP 515 bn since mid-2014 to enhance the country’s national electricity grid, state-owned Al Ahram reports.

The minister announced the news during a televised ceremony on Tuesday, July 24, to inaugurate major electricity projects in Egypt; which was attended by President Abdel-Fattah El Sisi, as well as, government ministers and officials.

Shaker pointed out that around EGP 433.5 bn of the total investments has been allocated to projects that will boost Egypt’s electricity generation, whilst the rest was spent on upgrading the power transport and distribution capacities, according to Al Ahram.

Accordingly, Egypt has raised its power capacity by 84% in the period from June 2014 to June 2018, adding nearly 25,000 megawatts (MW) to the national grid to reach 55,000 MW and generating a 25% surplus, Head of the Administrative Control Authority Mohamed Erfan said during the ceremony.

The projects inaugurated by El Sisi on Tuesday include a number of power transport lines in various governorates, in addition to a wind power plant in Gabal El-Zeit area in Red Sea, Al Ahram reports, adding that Egypt aims to meet 20% of its energy needs from renewable sources by 2022.