Egypt builds canals to irrigate 924,000 hectares of desert — RMF24
Egypt is implementing the New Delta project, which envisages transforming 924,000 hectares of desert into agricultural land. Wheat, corn, vegetables and fruit are planned to be grown in areas west of the historic Nile Delta, while roads, power lines, pipelines and pumping stations are also being built.
As RMF24 reports, a water treatment plant in El Hammam near the Mediterranean coast is a key element of the system. It was commissioned in 2023. The facility can process up to 7.5 million cubic meters of water per day.
Reuse of drainage water
Water from agricultural drainage systems in the old Nile Delta, which was previously discharged into the Mediterranean Sea, will be used mainly for irrigation. The water is treated in three stages to remove contaminants and suspended particles, but this process does not remove mineral salts. Thus, the system does not create a new source of fresh water, but reuses an already utilized water resource.
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The project will also rely on water from the Nile and groundwater. To increase supplies from the Nile, the 41-kilometer Tahya Misr canal is being built, which is intended to deliver up to 10 million cubic meters of water per day.
High energy and environmental risks
To deliver water to desert areas, two main canals of about 150 kilometers each and 19 main pumping stations are being built. According to an estimate cited by RMF24, operating the system may require up to 2,000 megawatts of capacity, comparable to the output of two large nuclear reactors.
Scientists warn that sediment, sand and salty water may accelerate the wear of mechanical equipment. An additional risk is soil salinization: salts dissolved in water remain in the ground after it evaporates. Without proper flushing of the root zone and desalination systems, this could reduce yields and make soils unsuitable for cultivation. Excessive use of groundwater in an arid climate may also cause its level to fall and lead to salinization.
