Police find more than 62,000 cases of energy theft

A crackdown on stealing electricity has uncovered 62,815 cases of misdemeanor theft, according to a report presented to Egypt’s cabinet by the director of energy police.

The report, which covered efforts from April 10 to April 19, also outlined 289 violations of contractual agreements, eight cases of theft of electricity lines and poles and 2,662 instances of theft by kiosks and street vendors.

The campaign followed an April 9 order by Prime Minister Ibrahim Mehleb to step up efforts to combat illegal electricity hook-ups.

According to World Bank data from 2011, some 10.6 percent of electricity produced at Egypt’s power stations disappears before reaching customers. This figure is above the global average of 8.1 percent, but well below the 16 percent average for countries in the same income category.

With Egypt facing a severe energy shortage that has led to power cuts and gas lines across the country, the government has been keen to curtail losses due to theft and technical problems.

Egypt’s drive to combat pilferage has coincided with attempts to diversify its energy mix. On April 2, the government overturned a ban on coal imports, paving the way for cement factories to use the highly polluting fossil fuel. The move is aimed at reducing industry’s reliance on natural gas, thereby freeing up fuel supplies for electricity generation.

The government has also revived a decades-old plan to build a nuclear power station on Egypt’s Mediterranean coast, and is looking into increasing the use of fuel derived from municipal and agricultural waste, as well as increasing investments in wind and solar power.