Masdar and Hassan Allam Utilities, the investment and development arm of Hassan Allam Holding Group, have signed two Memorandums of Understanding with leading Egyptian state-backed organizations to cooperate on the development of green hydrogen production plants in the Suez Canal Economic Zone and on the Mediterranean coast.
Article continues below
The Memorandums of Understanding were signed in the presence of His Excellency Mostafa Kamal Madbouly, Prime Minister of the Arab Republic of Egypt, His Excellency Dr Sultan bin Ahmed Al Jaber, UAE Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology, Special Envoy for Climate Change and Chairman of Masdar, His Excellency Dr Mohamed Shaker El-Markabi, Minister of Electricity and Renewable Energy for Egypt, and Her Excellency Dr Hala El Said, Minister of Planning and Economic Development and Chairperson of The Sovereign Fund of Egypt.
Masdar and Hassan Allam Utilities see Egypt as a hub for green hydrogen production, targeting the bunkering market, export to Europe, and boosting local industry. Egypt enjoys abundant solar and wind resources that allow generation of renewable power at a highly competitive cost –a key enabler for green hydrogen production.
Egypt is also located within close proximity to markets where demand for green hydrogen is expected to grow the most, providing robust opportunity for export.
Driven by green hydrogen’s export potential, its ability to attract large-scale foreign direct investment and opportunities to contribute to the Government’s efforts to optimize generation costs and increase the share of renewables in the country’s energy mix to 42 percent by 2030, the Ministry of Electricity is currently revising its 2030 renewable energy strategy to include green hydrogen, and is developing a green hydrogen strategy, which is expected to be issued by October 2022.
Amr Allam, Chief Executive Officer of Hassan Allam Holding, said: “Our drive into the green energy and infrastructure space, including solar and wind power generation, was all about contributing to a more sustainable future. Through this partnership with Masdar we are looking to harness the leading edge of technology to make a difference in Egypt by leveraging the country’s abundant sources of green energy.
“In the first phase of the project, Hassan Allam Utilities and Masdar aim to establish a green hydrogen manufacturing facility, which would be operational by 2026, producing 100,000 tonnes of e-methanol annually for bunkering in the Suez Canal,†he added.
“The electrolyser facilities in the Suez Canal Economic Zone and on the Mediterranean could be extended to up to 4 GW by 2030 to produce 2.3 million tonnes of green ammonia for export as well as supply green hydrogen for local industries.†■