Content area
Full text
NECC enables utility to control power flow to seven distribition zones.
The Egyptian Electricity Holding Co. Authority (EEHC) is the largest electric utility in the Middle East and Northern Africa, supplying a population of some 63 million in an area of more than 1 million km^sup 2^ (400,000 miles^sup 2^).
The EEHC forms part of the Egyptian Ministry of Electricity and Energy and is responsible for controlling the generation and transmission of electrical power for the entire country of Egypt. The first National Energy Control Center (NECC), commissioned in 1983, was designed to control the main 500-kV and 220-kV transmission systems and the existing generating plants, incorporating the latest energy-management techniques. This facility proved adequate until 1995, when increased demand and the growing electrical system prompted EEHC to upgrade the NECC. The turnkey contract was awarded to Harris Corp., Melbourne, Florida, U.S., to upgrade the NECC by installing one of the world's most advanced control centers.
Holding Authority
In 1998, statutory changes were made to the electricity industry, affiliating the seven distribution companies to EEHC. Each distribution company was given responsibility for the power plants within its geographical zones. EEHC retained responsibility for the operation and management of the EHV transmission lines and all 500-, 220-- and 132-kV substations. The Egyptian Unified Power System (UPS), which has a total installed generating capacity of 14,948 MW, is divided into two areas-northern and southern (Fig. 1). The northern area comprises five electric zones: Cairo, Delta, Behaira, Al- exandria and Canal. The southern area is divided into two zones: mid-Egypt and upper Egypt. The southern area, which is connected to the northern area via a double-circuit 500-kV transmission line, has all the country's hydropower stations. During periods of low discharge, 1310-MW reduces the hydropower-plant capacity and aging equipment in thermal-power plants limit capacity by a further 500 MW, hence the available generating capacity is 13,138 MW. The maximum demand on the system in 1999 and 2000 was 11,736 MW, an increase of 7.5% from the previous year, while the total electrical output increased by 8.9% to 74,000 GWh.
Table 1 shows the distribution and type of generating capacity in each zone.
The NECC is assigned responsibility for the operation of all the generating units and the tie...