Following the award of the Nuberiya contracts the Egyptian Electricity Holding Company (EEHC)is pressing ahead with the last two projects in the first phase of its 10-year expansion plan. Tenders have been issued for the gas turbine packages on two 750-MW combined cycle plants to be built at Talkha and Kureimat, for which bids are due in early 2004. Likely bidders for the turbine packages include GE Power Systemsof the US, Germany's Siemensand a Japanese team of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI)with Tomen Corporation. All three groups bid for the turbine packages on Cairo North and Nuberiya, which were awarded to GE and MHI/Tomen respectively.

EEHC is currently in negotiations with the European Investment Bank (EIB) and the African Development Bank over possible funding for the combined cycle projects (MEED 24:10:03).

Under the next phase of expansion, tenders are expected in 2004 for five standard steam turbine plants, which will include two 650-MW projects at Cairo West and Ayoun Moussa, a second 625-MW plant for Kureimat and two smaller 350-MW plants to be built at Walidia and Gamasa. Some 8,400 MW of new capacity will be added to the national network between 2007 and 2012.