Egypt has embarked on the construction of an extensive Artificial River that runs parallel to the Nile River.
Stretching 114km in length, this massive undertaking is a key component of the country’s “New Delta” project, located in the northwest region near the Dabaa nuclear power station.
Abbas Sharaky, a professor specializing in water resources and irrigation, explained that the first channel of the Artificial River spans 4km. It consists of 16km of open tracks and 26km of pipes, facilitating the transportation of approximately 10 million cubic meters of water from the Rashid branch, a crucial part of the Mostakbal Egypt project.
This initial stage marks the beginning of the ambitious project in the New Delta. Once completed, the Artificial River will irrigate a vast area of 1.05 million acres across six major water pumping stations, utilizing a total of approximately 3.5 billion cubic meters of water annually to irrigate approximately 600,000 acres.
The estimated cost of the Artificial River project in Egypt is around $5.25 billion, and upon completion, it will be the longest of its kind globally, irrigating 2.2 million acres.
The second channel of the project spans approximately 170km and commences at Hammam station. It transports 2.5 billion cubic meters of water, equivalent to seven million cubic meters per day, to the southern region of Dabaa, where it will be utilized for irrigating approximately 800,000 acres.
This section includes 22km of pipes with a length of 220km and a diameter of three meters, as well as 148km of open canals with 13 water pumping stations.
Additionally, the Jannat Masr (Egypt Artificial River) project includes a third channel comprising two 12-kilometer-long pipelines. These pipelines will be employed for desalinating brackish groundwater through 132 deep wells and three water pumping stations.
Moreover, they will facilitate the irrigation of approximately 64,000 acres in the city’s southern and western wastewater treatment facilities.