Fried and tested technology powers potato processing plant

Egypt’s largest potato processing factory has installed MNS LV switchgear from ABB to guarantee reliable, high-quality power to its two production lines, which process 10 tons of fried potatoes and two tons of mashed potato per hour.

Food security is a major issue affecting Africa, where over 346 million people struggle to access food every year. The new USD 250 million potato factory, spanning an area of 15,000m² in a remote region in Southwest Egypt, is an important gateway into the rest of Africa for the country’s processed food exports.

The food industry contributes almost 25 percent of Egypt’s GDP, 14 percent of its total exports and employs over 23 percent of the country’s workforce. Building reliability and resilience in the supply chain is therefore essential to both the country’s economy as well as the export markets relying on it.

Sherif Ismail, commercial director for ABB Egypt and Central Africa said: “The food and beverage industry in Egypt is under constant pressure to adapt and evolve to meet consumer demand. This means increased production, lower prices, and improved quality and variety, all while maintaining a commitment to sustainability. As a gateway to the African food and beverage market, Egypt needs to secure a reliable power supply to guarantee and sustain the future of this vital sector. Collaborating with clients like Orascom Construction will help to create blueprints for other facilities to follow.”

To provide a resilient and reliable power supply to keep production lines operating at maximum capacity, ABB installed low voltage power distribution solutions at the site as well as digitally enabled MNS fixed main distribution boards, which are ready for any future increases in production. UNIKIT panels and automatic transfer switches were also specified to reduce operating costs through low maintenance design and integrated power solutions.

Fady Magdy, business unit director for the industrial unit of Orascom Construction added: “Egypt is making huge strides in agricultural exports, moving away from bulk crops to focus on processed food products. By delivering high-value agricultural processed food exports to Africa, Egypt is not only promoting access to food, but is also putting the country on the map as an export gateway to the African market.

“We need a resilient, reliable and safe power supply to keep the potato processing plant operational 24/7. This was made more challenging as the factory is built in a remote part of the country with an unreliable power supply. Any downtime could disrupt productivity and the supply chain and that can’t happen.”