Energy in Egypt is an important sector of the Egyptian national economy. This article describes the energy and electricity production, consumption, export, and import in Egypt.
Electricity
The electricity sector in Egypt has evolved from full state control to a diversified energy mix, incorporating natural gas, renewables, and nuclear power, with increasing private sector involvement and regional interconnection. While fossil fuels still dominate, generating 87% of Egypt's electricity in 2025, hydropower contributes 6%, and wind and solar account for 7%, a rise from 1% in 2015 but still below the global average of 13% and Africa's 6%.
Egypt remains Africa's largest producer of gas-fired electricity, accounting for 45% of the continent's total in 2022. Despite its reliance on fossil fuels, Egypt's per capita carbon emissions remain below the global average.
Egypt's electricity demand has more than doubled over the past two decades, driven by rapid population growth and industrial expansion. This surge has primarily been met by natural gas, which made up 84% of Egypt's electricity mix in 2023. To reduce its dependence on fossil fuels, Egypt has set a target of 42% renewable electricity by 2030. Egypt is also expanding its nuclear energy sector, with construction of the El Dabaa Nuclear Power Plant underway through a partnership with Russia's Rosatom.
Electricity access in Egypt reached 100% by 2016, ensuring universal coverage.
+ Energy in EgyptIEA Key World Energy Statistics Statistics 2013, 2012 , 2011 , 2010 , 2009 , 2006 IEA October, crude oil p.11, coal p. 13 gas p. 15 Population Primary energy(TWh) Production(TWh) Export(TWh) Electricity(TWh) CO2-emission(Mt) 2004 72.64 662 752 71 88 141 2007 75.47 782 957 153 111 169 2008 81.51 822 1,018 180 116 174 2009 83.00 837 1,026 174 123 175 2012 86.42 138 188 Change 2004-09 14.3% 27% 36% 145% 40% 25% Mtoe = 11.63 TWh, Prim. energy includes energy losses
Petroleum Crude oil
Egypt has the sixth-largest proved oil reserves in Africa. Over half of these reserves are offshore reserves. Although Egypt is not a member of OPEC, it is a member of the Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries.WEC, p.76
, Egypt's proven oil reserves were estimated at , of which was crude oil and were natural gas liquids. Oil production in 2005 was , (down from in 1996), of which crude oil accounted for .
The National oil company is the Egyptian General Petroleum Corporation.
Egypt is estimated to hold initial recoverable liquid reserves. After decades of production, it is estimated that the country has approximately recoverable oil remaining, as of January 2011. These figures indicate that 83% of Egypt's recoverable oil reserves have been depleted.
Shale oil The Safaga-Quseir area of the Eastern Desert is estimated to have reserves equivalent about of in-place shale oil and the Abu Tartour area of the Western Desert is estimated to have about of in-place shale oil. The 1000 to 2000 foot thick and organically rich, total organic content of about 4%, Khatatba Formation in the Western Desert is the source rock for wells there and is a potential source for shale oil and shale gas.
Apache Corporation, using substantial assets acquired in 2010 from BP after the Deepwater Horizon disaster, is the major operator in the Western Desert, often in joint ventures with Egyptian General Petroleum Corporation (EGPC) such as Khalda Petroleum Company and Qarun Petroleum Company. In 1996 Apache merged with Phoenix Resources, which had made the Qarun discovery in 1994, and took over operations of the Qarun Concession in Egypt.
Apache has developed about 18% of the 10 million acres it controls, in 2012 running a score of rigs; drilling about 200 development and injection wells; and about 50 exploration wells with a success rate of about 55%. Plans for 2013 included an investment of about $1 billion in development and exploration. On 29 August 2013 Apache announced sale of a 1/3 share of its Egyptian assets to Sinopec for $3.1 billion effective 1 January 2014; Apache would continue to be the operator.
Oil shale Oil shale resources were red in the Safaga-Quseir area of the Eastern Desert in the 1940s. The oil shale in the Red Sea area could be extracted by underground mining. In the Abu Tartour are, oil shale be mined as byproduct whilst mining for phosphates. Oil shale in Egypt is foreseen as a potential fuel for the power generation.WEC, p. 107
Natural gas
Egypt has long pursued the expansion of its natural gas industry, leveraging its significant reserves to meet both domestic demand and international export obligations. By 2005, Egypt's proven natural gas reserves were estimated at 66 trillion cubic feet, ranking third in Africa.WEC, p. 176 Production continued to grow, reaching 2 trillion cubic feet by 2013, with domestic consumption accounting for nearly 1.9 trillion cubic feet.
The Arab Gas Pipeline was developed to facilitate exports to Jordan, Syria, and Lebanon, with a planned total length of 1,200 km, offering the potential to extend gas deliveries to Europe. Egypt developed its liquefied natural gas (LNG) infrastructure, with the Damietta and Idku LNG plants operated by Egyptian LNG and SEGAS LNG, making it a key supplier to international markets.
In the 2000s, foreign investment played a crucial role in the expansion of Egypt's gas industry. BP, Eni, and Gas Natural Fenosa developed major LNG export facilities, but rising domestic consumption led to reduced exports, idling much of Egypt's LNG capacity."BP Signs 12 Billion Deal to Develop Natural Gas in Egypt". The New York Times 7 March 2015 By 2014, Egypt shifted its energy strategy to prioritize domestic demand, which significantly curtailed gas exports. As part of efforts to address supply shortages, Egypt signed an agreement with Israel to import 7 billion cubic meters annually from the Leviathan field over 15 years, with gas transported via an underwater pipeline. Wall Street Journal article in Egypt's gas
In March 2015, BP announced a $12 billion investment to develop offshore gas fields in Egypt's West Nile Delta, a project expected to contribute one-quarter of Egypt's total gas output. BP planned to extract and process gas onshore, with production beginning in 2017. The investment included the Atoll field, which commenced production in 2018 and delivered approximately 300 million standard cubic feet per day (mmscfd) to Egypt's national grid. BP also expanded operations in the North Damietta concession, where production from the Qattameya discovery began in 2020.
The discovery of the Zohr gas field in 2015 marked a major milestone in Egypt's energy sector. Located 190 km north of Port Said in the Shorouk Block, Zohr was discovered by the Italian oil giant Eni, holding an estimated 30 trillion cubic feet of natural gas across 100 square kilometers. Development of Zohr progressed at record speed, with production beginning in December 2017, making it one of the fastest deepwater gas field developments in history. By August 2019, Zohr's output reached 2.7 billion cubic feet per day, significantly boosting Egypt's energy independence.
Despite these successes, Egypt's gas sector encountered challenges in the 2020s, as technical issues at Zohr led to production declines, impacting domestic supply. To mitigate the shortfall, Egypt secured agreements with Cyprus to import gas from the Cronos and Aphrodite fields, routing it to liquefaction plants in Idku and Damietta for re-export to Europe.
In February 2025, Egypt signed a $3 billion LNG deal with Shell and TotalEnergies for 60 cargoes of LNG, securing critical energy supplies for both domestic consumption and export markets. Meanwhile, Egypt has embarked on efforts to revitalize Zohr's production, with plans to drill new wells and boost output by 220 million cubic feet per day. A significant purchase of LNG was reported to be imminent in June 2025, with analysts noting the implications for Egypt's reliance on imports as opposed to its own LNG production.
In January 2026, Israel and Egypt signed a multibillion-dollar expansion of their existing natural gas agreements, aimed at strengthening regional energy cooperation and securing supply lines to the Mediterranean.Reuters. (2026, January 14). Israel and Egypt sign multibillion-dollar expansion of natural gas export deal. https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/israel-egypt-expand-gas-export-deal-2026-01-14/ The agreement facilitates a significant increase in gas flow from Israel's Leviathan and Tamar offshore fields to Egyptian liquefaction plants in Idku and Damietta. This expansion is specifically designed to boost natural gas exports to European markets as part of a broader strategy to reduce Europe's reliance on Russian energy.
Egypt's long-term strategy continues to focus on maximizing natural gas exports while ensuring stable domestic supply, with ongoing exploration efforts and new investments aimed at reinforcing its position as a regional energy hub.
Current total production of natural gas in Egypt
As of July 2024, the total production of natural gas in Egypt was stated to be 5.7 billion cubic feet per day.
Nuclear power
Egypt has been considering the use of nuclear energy for decades: in 1964, a 150 MWe and in 1974 a 600 MWe, nuclear power stations were proposed. The Nuclear Power Plants Authority (NPPA) was established in 1976, and in 1983 the El Dabaa site on the Mediterranean coast was selected.
Egypt's nuclear plans were shelved after the Chernobyl accident. In 2006, Egypt announced it would revive its civilian nuclear power programme, and build a 1,000 MW nuclear power station at El Dabaa. Its estimated cost at the time was US$1.5bn, and the plans were to do the construction with the help of foreign investors.
In March 2008, Egypt signed an agreement with Russia on the peaceful uses of nuclear energy. In June 2009, the Egyptian Nuclear Plant Authority signed a $160 million contract for 8 years with the Australian Worley Parsons corporation in which this company would help Egypt build the power plant. During the Egyptian Revolution of 2011, the military council decided to temporarily stop the power plant construction until the next parliamentary elections.
On November 7, 2013, the Interim President of Egypt, Adly Mansour stated that Egypt will re-commence its nuclear power program by building its first nuclear power plant in El Dabaa, a small coastal town in Marsa Matrouh governate. Prior to Mansour's announcement, the city of El Dabaa had control of the land allocated to the power plant construction site but now the Egyptian army has complete control of the land in Marsa Matrouh. The military planned to build the nuclear power plant by 2016. In 2015, contracts were signed with a Russian company to begin the building of the plant at El Dabaa.
In April 2023, Egyptian media reported that Egypt and Russia were expediting the El Dabaa Nuclear Power Plant construction. They were said to be trying to get the plant at El-Dabaa, 135 kilometres west of Alexandria, back on schedule after initial delays due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine and COVID-19. The construction work on the plant, which was scheduled to conclude by 2030, had started in July 2022.
Renewable energy Hydropower
The majority of Egypt's electricity supply is generated from thermal and hydropower stations. The four main hydroelectric generating stations currently operating in Egypt are the Aswan Low Dam, the Esna Dam, the Aswan High Dam, and the Naga Hamady Barrages. The Asyut Barrage hydropower plant is scheduled to be commissioned and added as a fifth station in 2016.