Cairo: Prime Minister Moustafa Madbouli asserted the Egyptian government's commitment to supporting the Green Hydrogen Production Project, which is being implemented by Norway's Scatec in partnership with the Sovereign Fund of Egypt, Orascom Construction, and Fertiglobe in the Ain Sokhna Industrial Zone. He noted that the project has begun partial production, and a broader launch is anticipated soon, significantly contributing to the export of green hydrogen to Europe and other international markets.
According to State Information Service Egypt, these remarks were made during a meeting held by Madbouli at the government headquarters in the New Administrative Capital. The meeting reviewed the implementation status of the 100-megawatt green hydrogen project in the Ain Sokhna Industrial Zone, part of the Suez Canal Economic Zone (SCZONE), executed by the consortium led by Scatec.
The meeting drew attendance from Deputy Prime Minister for Industrial Development and Minister of Industry and Transport Kamel el Wazir, Minister of Planning, Economic Development and International Cooperation Rania el Mashat, Minister of Electricity and Renewable Energy Mahmoud Esmat, Chairman of SCZONE Walid Gamal el Din, Norwegian Ambassador to Egypt Erik H¸glund Husem, EU Ambassador to Egypt Angelina Eichhorst, CEO of Scatec Terje Pilskog, Scatec's Vice President for the Middle East Mohamed Amer, and officials from several European banks.
Madbouli praised the strong partnership with Scatec and highlighted the progress in renewable energy projects in Egypt, aligning with the state's goal to increase the share of renewable energy in the national energy mix. He mentioned ongoing discussions to increase the renewable energy share beyond 42% by 2030, given the rising interest and investment requests in this sector.
He also referred to his recent visit to inaugurate the first phase of the 'Obelisk' solar power plant in Nag Hammadi, Qena Governorate, implemented by Scatec, emphasizing the need for the second phase to commence by the end of May. Additionally, he mentioned agreements for establishing another major solar power plant in Minya governorate, known as 'Energy Valley', with Scatec investing USD 1.8 billion. Financing agreements for this project were signed with international partners.
Madbouli highlighted the strong Egyptian-European cooperation, noting the European Union and European financial institutions' willingness to support renewable energy and green hydrogen projects in Egypt. He emphasized that the green hydrogen project enjoys broad European support.
Esmat confirmed the ministry's support since the project's inception, providing necessary energy sources and suitable land, and reaffirmed support for completing the remaining phases. Pilskog praised the Egyptian government's support and reiterated Scatec's commitment to exporting green hydrogen to European markets. Eichhorst lauded Cairo's pioneering role in the green hydrogen market and the Egyptian-European cooperation in renewable energy projects.