Tripoli and Cairo plan link to regional electricity grid
Libya and Egypt are considering setting up a new electricity interconnection that should allow a wider network around the Mediterranean basin to be completed.
The addition of a direct current (DC) link could allow Tripoli to link its power network with Tunisia for the first time.
A DC link would act as a filter to limit the impact of fluctuations in power frequency in the wider network.
It would also mean countries around the Mediterranean could exchange electricity across the entire system.
With a peak load of approximately 20,000 MW, the Egyptian power system is far larger than those of its neighbours and therefore subject to higher fluctuations.
The new link with Egypt is being evaluated by Medelec, a group of electricity companies from the region.
Several independent synchronous networks already exist around the Mediterranean rim.
A western block includes Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia and Spain, a south-eastern block stretches from Libya to Syria, and a third block is made up of south-eastern European countries.
The missing link is an interconnection between Libya and Tunisia.
A test carried out in November 2005 to close that gap showed the existing interconnections were too weak to cope with normal fluctuations in the system.
Countries in North Africa are working on upgrading their transmission networks.
'By the end of this year, a 400-kV network will arrive at the Morocco-Algerian border,' says Juan Manuel Rodriguez Garcia, head of network studies at Red Electrica de Espana.
Libya and Egypt are considering setting up a new electricity interconnection that should allow a wider network around the Mediterranean basin to be completed.
The addition of a direct current (DC) link could allow Tripoli to link its power network with Tunisia for the first time. A DC link would act as a filter to limit the impact of fluctuations in power frequency in the wider network. It would also mean countries around the Mediterranean could exchange electricity across the entire system. With a peak load of approximately 20,000 MW, the Egyptian power system is far larger than those of its neighbours and therefore subject to higher fluctuations. The new link with Egypt is being evaluated by Medelec, a group of electricity companies from the region. Several independent synchronous networks already exist around the Mediterranean rim. A western block includes Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia and Spain, a south-eastern block stretches from Libya to Syria, and a third block is made up of south-eastern European countries. The missing link is an interconnection between Libya and Tunisia. A test carried out in November 2005 to close that gap showed the existing interconnections were too weak to cope with normal fluctuations in the system. Countries in North Africa are working on upgrading their transmission networks. 'By the end of this year, a 400-kV network will arrive at the Morocco-Algerian border,' says Juan Manuel Rodriguez Garcia, head of network studies at Red Electrica de Espana.This content is only available to full MEED package subscribers (MEED magazine and MEED.com).
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