On October 13th, German Ambassador Dr. Cyrill Jean Nunn, together with Ambassador Christian Berger, Head of the EU Delegation in Egypt, visited the New Asyut Barrage and Hydropower station, which is a result of the fruitful bilateral cooperation between Egypt and Germany. The landmark structure, which is operational since 2018, has been realized by the Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation and the Hydropower Plants Executive Authority, with support and financing from German Development Cooperation, represented by the German Development Bank KfW.

The „Asyut Barrage and Hydropower Project“ comprises not only the construction of the new barrage, but also the establishment of a hydropower plant and related infrastructure. The project secures irrigation based livelihood for 5 million people, who earn their income based on agricultural activities. Moreover, electricity is generated in an environmentally friendly manner from a renewable energy source. Today, the hydropower plant produces 250 GWh of electricity per year, serving around 130,000 households in Asyut and neighboring governorates.

Ambassador Nunn said: „On a site like this you can truly understand why the river Nile is known as the lifeline of Egypt. The “Asyut Barrage and Hydropower Project„ is a model example of what close bilateral cooperation can achieve. It has created jobs, provides water for irrigation as well as electricity for tens of thousands of families and, at the same time has been built with great emphasis on environmental and social standards.“

The positive impact becomes visible in numbers: the large-scale project helps safeguard irrigation on 690,000 hectares and reduces carbon emissions by 147,000 tons per year. The complete costs of the implementation amounted to approximately EUR 444 million, of which the Government of Egypt and the German Development Cooperation each covered a share, with the German contribution being the largest amount provided by the German Development Cooperation for a single project worldwide.