Egypt-based El Sewedy Cables, the largest Arab cable maker by market value, said it was part of a consortium that won a 1 billion Egyptian pound ($183 million) electricity link project.

The power line will link the Abu Qir area in the north of Egypt to Badr City, about 50 km east of Cairo on the Ismailia Road, the company said.

The electricity ministry said in a statement on Saturday it had signed the deal with several Egyptian companies to construct the line.

Aksam Abulela, spokesman for the ministry, told Reuters the consortium included a Spanish company, as well as Sewedy Cables and other Egyptian companies.

'The power line is 340 km long and will be completed within two years,' Abulela said.

Sewedy said it had started production at its power cables plant in Ethiopia with an annual capacity of 10,000 tonnes of copper and aluminium. – Reuters