Alstom Grid has signed a €12 million contract with Egyptian Electricity Transmission Co. (EETC) for the supply and delivery of an Energy Management System (EMS) replacing the existing National Control Center in Giza and its back up in Abassia. The project also aims to replace and expand EETC’s telecommunications network, connecting to existing systems throughout the country with full digital technologies.

EETC will benefit from Alstom Grid’s e-terra suite of EMS software applications to secure greater and efficient grid reliability, stability, security and management of interconnections with neighbouring countries, Libya and Syria through Jordan at optimized cost. The solution also includes a market management system (MMS) that can provide EETC with real time information on tariffs to both producers and consumers. This will allow the opening of the Egyptian Electricity Market, a regional first, when EETC decides to launch the application.

Egypt is the second African country to decentralize its electricity market (the first was South Africa). It has become a high technology energy player and a model for further decentralization projects in Africa and the Middle East.

“We are delighted to partner with EETC in its ambition to stay at the forefront of technology in the region,” said Jean-Michel Cornille, Senior Vice-President for Automation at Alstom Grid. “As a global leader in Smart Grid-ready management solutions, and strategic technologies like power electronics, automation and control room IT, Alstom Grid focuses on intelligent solutions that respond to the fast evolving challenges of energy efficiency, network reliability and stability, and the integration of renewable energy into the grid.”

With this new National Energy Management System, Alstom Grid consolidates its leadership position in the Middle East, managing around 70% of the region’s energy flow. Looking at total African Transmission System Operators, Alstom Grid technology will manage more than 70% of Africa’s electricity flow, with national grid operations in Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Ivory Coast, Libya, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania and Tunisia.