Egypt will invite bids this week to build generators with a total capacity of 1,000 megawatts, part of an effort to prevent power outages after electricity shortfalls this summer, the energy ministry said on Saturday.

Summer temperatures of about 40 degrees Celsius alongside higher demand near sunset as Muslim families gather to break fast each day during the month of Ramadan has pushed up electricity consumption in the most populous Arab country.

Resultant power outages have provoked rumblings of public anger in the country's streets and newspapers, while economists have warned more shortfalls could hamper investment.

Egypt may spend as much as 3.1 billion Egyptian pounds ($560 million) on the plan to add eight gas generators of 125 megawatts each, which officials aim to get online before next summer, the state-run al-Gomhuria said.

'There will be an invitation for the companies this week,' Electricity and Energy Ministry Spokesman Aktham Aboul Ela said, confirming the report to Reuters.

Egypt, which has about 25,000 megawatts of power capacity, intends to spend $100-120 billion to triple capacity by 2027. – Reuters