A shortage of natural gas in Egypt has led to rolling blackouts during a heatwave. To help students study for their crucial high-school exams, churches, cafes, libraries, sports centers, and wedding halls have opened their doors with their own power generators.
According to Zawya, this is in response to the official extension of power cuts to three hours daily. Egypt primarily generates electricity by burning natural gas.
On Tuesday, Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly stated that Egypt would need to import $1.18 billion of mazut fuel oil and natural gas to alleviate the power cuts worsened by heatwaves, which have driven up electricity consumption.
Declining domestic gas production and import fluctuations have also contributed to the power cuts. For the rest of the summer, the government aims to stop cutting power by around the third week of July.
According to the education ministry, over 745,000 students are expected to take the exams this academic year, and the results will determine which students are accepted to public universities.
The air-conditioned Bibliotheca Alexandrina on the Mediterranean coast has allowed students to use its 2,000-seat reading hall free of charge outside its regular hours, attracting many students seeking respite from the heat.
At the Coptic Church of Saint George in Alexandria, priest Yacoub Barsoum stated that the church is using its generator to provide students with power and internet access in the halls. The church also offers water, cold beverages, and tea to create a suitable atmosphere for studying.
In Cairo, families are finding ways to cope with the power cuts. For instance, physician Noura Saeed temporarily moved in with her sister in a gated community that maintains consistent power after her building lost electricity for over eight hours on Monday.
Other parents also host study groups in their homes, aligning with their power-cut schedules.
