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Source: https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/09/01/egypt-power-cuts-gas-blackouts/
Egypt Halted Gas Exports to Europe after Running Low at Home
(Washington Post) Claire Parker - When Russia invaded Ukraine last year, and European demand for natural gas skyrocketed, Egypt ramped up its gas exports. The 2015 discovery of the Zohr field - the biggest gas find in the Mediterranean - led to Egyptian exports of 60% of its natural gas production to Europe in 2022. Yet a year later, gas shortages have left Cairo with rolling blackouts, as exports were halted in June. A ballooning population and hotter summers have increased domestic demand for electricity in the Arab world's most populous country. Moreover, there was declining output amid reports of water filtration problems at the Zohr field. Under a deal inked in June 2022 with Israel and the EU, Israeli gas has been supplied to Egyptian plants to be converted into liquid form and sent to Europe. On Aug. 23, Israel approved the expansion of natural gas exports to Egypt from the Tamar field.