Siemens today announced it has completed building and connecting the extension of Toshka substation in Egypt, in record time of three months, for the Egyptian Electricity Transmission Company (EETC). This paves the way for the realization of the Egypt-Sudan Electric Interconnection project. The new 220 kilovolt (kV) air-insulated substation (AIS) will dispatch around 400 megawatts (MW) of electricity to secure reliable power transmission coupled with minimal losses of transferred power.
The turnkey substation, which is located near the Egyptian-Sudanese boarders, about 1,300 kilometers away from Cairo, will play a strategic role in the upcoming Egypt-Sudan Electric Interconnection project. The project links the national grids of both countries, from Toshka city in Egypt to Dongola in Sudan, via a 170-kilometer transmission line. The extension of new substation is expected to connect 400 MW of power. With a difference in peak demand times during the day for each country, the interconnection project will help foster energy exchange, therefore boosting electricity supply and economic growth in both Egypt and Sudan.
“The new project is in-line with Egypt’s national plan to share power with neighboring countries as well as drive a more dynamic African cooperation in different areas, including energy,” said Sabah Meshaly, Chairman of the EETC. “The extension of Toshka substation marks the first phase of this landmark project, which will expand access and lower the cost of electricity supply to homes and business in Sudan and promote sustainable development.”
Under the agreement Siemens was responsible for project management, engineering, designing, manufacturing and delivering of core components for the extension of substation, along with providing site management, testing and commissioning on a turnkey basis.
“Egypt-Sudan Interconnection project is definitely a unique opportunity to unlock Africa’s vast energy potential,” said Mahmoud Hanafy, Senior Executive Vice President of Siemens Transmission solutions for the Middle East region. “For our team, this agreement not only represents our continued collaboration on outstanding projects like these, but also our ongoing efforts to adapt to an evolving energy landscape and implement key regional infrastructure projects that support reliable, stable and efficient energy transmission.”
Egypt will benefit through the sale of energy to Sudan, while Sudan will get access to existing and future power plants in Egypt. Both countries will benefit from additional jobs created by construction and installation activities.
Siemens has a long-standing worldwide experience in projects where significant amounts of energy have to be transmitted across long distances. Recently, Siemens completed the high-voltage direct-current converter stations for the 2,000 MW HVDC project Bipole III in Canada, enabling transmission of renewable energy via almost 1,400 kilometers. In Egypt, approximately 50 per cent of the substations in the country are built by Siemens technology.
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