TEDA to build 200-megawatt substation to upgrade power grid

Source | Northern Net

Author | Huo Yanghua

Recently, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Sustainable Development Investment Promotion event was held in Tianjin Binhai New Area. At the project signing ceremony, Tianjin TEDA Power Co., Ltd., the Suez Canal Economic Zone Public Utilities Company of Egypt, and China-Africa TEDA Investment Co., Ltd. signed an agreement to invest 300 million yuan to construct a 200-megawatt substation project in the China-Egypt TEDA Suez Economic and Trade Cooperation Zone (hereinafter referred to as the TEDA Cooperation Zone).

Easing Power Pressure, Helping Enterprises Reduce Costs and Increase Efficiency

With the rapid development of the TEDA Cooperation Zone, the power demand in the park has gradually increased. To further improve the energy supply capacity of the Ain Sokhna area in the TEDA Cooperation Zone, enhance the overall competitiveness of the park, and promote the entry of major projects, Tianjin TEDA Power Co., Ltd., Suez Canal Economic Zone Public Utilities Company and China-Africa TEDA Investment Co., Ltd. have cooperated to construct an important supporting project for the development of the cooperation zone—a 200-megawatt substation project.

After the completion of this project, it will solve the power bottleneck of large projects, reduce enterprise investment costs, and the park will also attract more high-quality enterprises to settle in by optimizing the power supporting environment, thereby improving the competitiveness of the park. At the same time, the cooperating parties can achieve stable long-term returns through investment and operation of the substation. The project is expected to be completed and put into operation at the end of 2026 or early 2027, providing a solid guarantee for the sustainable development of the park.

More than 180 Enterprises Have Settled In, Filling the Gaps in Egypt's Industries

The TEDA Cooperation Zone is the second batch of national-level overseas economic and trade cooperation zones approved by the Chinese government. Officially launched in 2008, after 17 years of development, the park has become the industrial park with the best comprehensive environment, the highest investment density, the highest unit output, and the highest concentration of Chinese companies in Egypt, a model project of China-Africa cooperation in jointly building the Belt and Road Initiative, and a landmark project connecting the Belt and Road Initiative with the development strategy of the Suez Canal Corridor. It serves as an important platform for economic and trade cooperation and cultural exchange between China and Egypt.

The TEDA Cooperation Zone covers a total area of 7.34 square kilometers, divided into a starting area and an expansion area. Among them, the starting area covers 1.34 square kilometers and has been fully developed. The expansion area covers 6 square kilometers, with 3 square kilometers of infrastructure completed. Li Daixin, chairman of China-Africa TEDA Investment Co., Ltd., said that the cooperation zone has formed a leading industrial structure of "1+8." The "1" represents bonded logistics, and the "8" covers new building materials, petroleum equipment, high and low-voltage equipment, machinery manufacturing, textiles, chemicals, new energy, and white appliances. Each industry is driven by leading enterprises, forming a "horizontal group, side-by-side chain" industrial chain.

By the end of December 2024, the cooperation zone had attracted more than 180 enterprises, attracting over US$3 billion in investment, generating over US$5.3 billion in cumulative sales, paying nearly US$300 million in taxes, and directly creating nearly 10,000 jobs. Many leading enterprises such as China Giant Stone, XD Power International, Midea, XinXing Casting, and Hisense, as well as international enterprises from Egypt, the UAE, and Canada, are flourishing here, strongly promoting the economic development along the Suez Canal Corridor in Egypt, improving the level of industrialization, filling many industrial gaps in Egypt, and injecting strong impetus into promoting domestic and international dual circulation and local economic development.

Deeply Integrated into Egypt, Raising Tianjin's Profile

Over the past 17 years, the TEDA Cooperation Zone has created nearly 10,000 jobs for the local area and cultivated a group of excellent park development, construction, and management talents for Egypt. Enterprises in the park have trained and exported a group of professional technicians and enterprise managers to Egypt. The TEDA Cooperation Zone also frequently holds various training sessions and organizes outstanding employees and managers from the Egyptian side to visit and study in China. Through direct experience, it improves the management level of local employees and enhances the service concept.

Ahmed Abdel-Baki, the construction manager of the Egypt TEDA Special Zone Development Company, is a representative of local talent who grew up in the cooperation zone. He said: "The construction progress of Chinese companies is significantly faster than that of local enterprises, and the operation process is standardized and strictly standardized. Here, I learned efficient planning, including not only work plans, but also family life and career development."

Now, Baki lives in a residential area within the cooperation zone. In the future, a vocational training center for the Suez Canal Economic Zone aided by Egypt will be built in the park to solve the problems of employee children and the cultivation of high-quality talents in the area. Baki is planning to bring his family to live together and has introduced many friends to work at TEDA. He jokingly said that he has long regarded the cooperation zone as his "second home."

In addition, the TEDA Cooperation Zone actively fulfills its social responsibilities. In recent years, it has carried out many public welfare and charitable activities, such as donating learning materials to orphans in Egypt and rescuing children with heart disease. This not only allows more Egyptian people to understand the cooperation zone, but also further enhances Tianjin's international reputation.

Currently, the TEDA Cooperation Zone is committed to playing a leading role in green and digital transformation. It is widely using complementary solar and wind energy streetlights in the park and actively introducing low-carbon enterprises to make the park the first green energy demonstration park in Egypt. These measures not only provide impetus for the sustainable development of the cooperation zone, but also provide valuable experience for Egypt and the world in addressing climate change, significantly enhancing its strategic position in the international green economy.

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