Egypt secures $5 bln for electricity plan

CAIRO (Reuters) - Egypt has obtained $5 billion from international and regional financers to fund and complete its 2007-2012 five year plan to boost energy output, the state news agency MENA quoted the electricity minister as saying on Friday.

"It is expected that total investments in this plan will arrive at about 80 billion pounds ... without incurring any financial burden on the state," the report quoted Hassan Younes as saying.

The report did not say which groups provided the financing.

Egypt, the most populous Arab country, is aiming to attract $110 billion worth of investments in its energy sector by 2027, the minister said last week.

The 2007-2012 five year plan is expected to add 9,200 megawatts to the country's capacity, set up transformer stations and extend power lines, the MENA report said.

The plan includes the Abu Qir thermal power plant, expected to cost $1.7 billion and come onstream in the first quarter of 2012.

Younes has said that Egypt wants to more than triple its installed power capacity by 2027 by adding 58,000 megawatts at a cost of about $100 billion to $120 billion.