The Egyptian Electricity Holding Company (EEHC) has signed agreements with the US’ GE and China’s Sepco III for two new power projects at Giza North and Banha.

A turbine supply agreement has been signed with GE, while Sepco III has won the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract. The contracts are worth $300m.

When complete, the new combined cycle power plants at Giza North and Banha will add 2,250MW power generating capacity to the grid. This amounts to 10 per cent of the installed power capacity on the national grid.

According to Egypt’s Electricity and Energy Mnistry, the country experienced 13 per cent growth in electricity demand from 2009 to 2010, and growth is expected to continue at a rate of around 11 per cent over the next five years.

The Giza North and Banha plants are scheduled to enter service by the middle of 2013, in time to help the country meet its peak power demands during the summer.