Electricity in Egypt in 2024
As of 2024, Egypt's electricity consumption leans heavily on fossil fuels, accounting for 88% of the total electricity generation—a staggering sum, with gas making up more than 80% and oil contributing close to 7.5%. Low-carbon or clean energy sources encompass 12% of the total mix, with hydropower leading the charge at nearly 7%. Wind energy accounts for around 3% and solar power is close behind, just under 2.5%. This distribution reveals a substantial reliance on non-sustainable fossil fuels, with a relatively modest engagement in clean electricity generation.
Data sources used on this page include EIA, Ember and IEA. More about data sources →
Is Electricity Growing in Egypt?
Egypt is experiencing a notable increase in electricity consumption. The latest figures for 2024 show that the average electricity use is now more than 2,000 kWh per person, representing an increase from the previous record set in 2023. This marks a positive growth in overall electricity usage, highlighting the nation's rising energy demands. Low-carbon electricity generation has also experienced growth, with current outputs reaching 244 kWh per person, up from the record set in 2022. This improvement reflects a small yet important shift towards cleaner energy sources, indicating progress, though still leaving significant room for further expansion.
Suggestions
To enhance low-carbon electricity generation, Egypt can draw experiential lessons from regions with high clean energy outputs. For example, countries like France and Slovakia, where nuclear energy accounts for around 70% and 66% of their electricity sources respectively, showcase the immense potential of nuclear power as a stable and substantial contributor. Similarly, states like Nevada and California demonstrate solar power's viability, with solar accounting for more than 30% and close to that respectively. These examples emphasize the importance of diversifying Egypt's energy portfolio and scaling up the deployment of both nuclear and solar power to substantially reduce reliance on fossil fuels while building up modern and sustainable electricity infrastructure.
History
Historically, Egypt's journey with low-carbon electricity generation has seen fluctuations, particularly with hydropower. During the 1990s, significant growth occurred with some years experiencing increases up to 2.4 TWh. However, the 2000s and mid-2010s saw periods of decline, dragging down the momentum significantly. Yet, recent strides since 2019 in both wind and solar power generation indicate Egypt's renewed commitment to clean energy, with notable increases in wind reaching 2.6 TWh in 2019 and solar achieving a 3 TWh boost in 2020. These developments illustrate Egypt's ongoing attempts to prioritize low-carbon solutions, heralding a crucial, albeit gradual, shift towards a more sustainable electricity landscape.
