The second line of the Cairo metro system received a push with Egypt signing a €100-million ($109 million) financing agreement with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), said a report.

The agreement is a key step towards improving the second line of the metro system, including the addition of 13 new metro cars, reported the Daily News Egypt.

The deal, which was previously announced in October, was signed at the Egypt Mega Projects conference in capital Cairo.

Earlier this month, the EBRD announced that it will allocate $500 million for next year to support Egypt’s new solar energy programme.

Prior to these announcements, the bank’s project portfolio amounted to €739 million ($812 million).

In September, the EBRD pledged a sovereign loan of up to $200 million to finance the construction of a combined-cycle gas-fired power plant in Damanhour, Beheira. The project aims to improve energy efficiency and carbon footprint of the power sector and also address supply shortages, it added.