- Egypt Minister of Electricity Mahmoud Esmat discussed localising electric grid equipment and advanced energy monitoring technologies with Huawei Egypt’s CEO.
- The collaboration aims to reduce energy losses and enhance service quality through intelligent grid solutions and innovative metering systems.
Egypt Minister of Electricity and Renewable Energy, Mahmoud Esmat, recently met with Huawei Egypt’s CEO, Jim Liu, and his team to discuss the localisation of manufacturing for electric grid equipment and communication tools. The meeting centred on integrating advanced meters that accurately measure energy consumption, detect irregularities, and enhance existing IT collaborations to monitor energy losses within the electric grid.
Esmat highlighted the goal of building a flexible, secure, and intelligent grid to ensure a stable electricity supply. The discussions included evaluating Huawei’s recent pilot project, which measured consumption and losses at one of Egypt’s electricity distribution companies, and exploring broader implementation possibilities.
Attendees included Deputy Minister of Electricity Sabah Mashaly, Egyptian Electricity Holding Company Chairperson Gaber Desouki, and Mohamed Dabies, Assistant Minister of Electricity for Distribution Companies Affairs. During the talks, Esmat reviewed Huawei’s initiatives to modernise control centres and establish a connected information network. They specifically evaluated the successful innovative distribution system the North Cairo Electricity Distribution Company implemented, which reduced losses to 7%.
The meeting also addressed deploying smart devices and communication equipment at critical points in the distribution network to monitor energy usage and detect unauthorised consumption. This would allow for rapid emergency response measures, including power cutoffs. Esmat expressed interest in expanding this strategy to combat unauthorised energy use.
He emphasised the ministry’s collaboration with private sector partners to integrate advanced technologies in electricity metering, enhancing communication between meters and minimising technical and commercial losses. The exploration of Huawei’s pilot program, which collected data across varied consumption patterns, was noted as a step towards achieving real-time insights into the energy network.
This initiative aligns with digital transformation goals in Egypt, aiming to transition to an intelligent grid, improve service quality, and attract private sector investments as part of the national strategy. Huawei’s involvement in projects, including remote monitoring and control of transformers and substations, was acknowledged for managing service quality and network performance data, ultimately contributing to reduced losses and improved operational efficiency.
Esmat reiterated the strategic partnership with Huawei, leveraging its expertise in intelligent networks, renewable energy solutions, and energy efficiency technologies. He outlined the ministry’s commitment to enhancing all aspects of electricity services from generation to distribution while maximising renewable energy resources. A comprehensive program is underway to foster private sector participation in renewable energy projects by creating a favourable investment climate, explicitly focusing on localising the manufacturing of electrical and communication equipment.