• The project will generate 80,000 tons per year of green hydrogen and derivative in the Suez Canal Zone
  • Over 2 GW of renewable energies will be deployed to power 700 MW electrolyser and ammonia synthesis plants with clean electricity
  • The first phase is to be operational in 2026 and the ultimate project capacity is to be reached by 2030

Sharm El-Sheikh, EGYPT: At the COP27, the “Green Fuel Alliance” consortium led by EDF Renewables, a leading player of renewable energy, and Zero Waste, a leading company specialized in developing projects in the Egyptian fertilizer, oil & gas, power generation and cement industries has signed a Framework Agreement with the Ministry of Electricity, the General Authority for Suez Canal Economic Zone (SCZONE) and the Infrastructure and Utilities Sub Fund of The Sovereign Fund of Egypt (TSFE) for the development of a green hydrogen and derivatives mega-project to be located at the Suez Canal Economic Zone.

The Framework Agreement was signed during the COP27 in Sharm El-Sheikh as part of Egypt’s Green Hydrogen Strategy. The overall project is based on a mix of over 2 GW wind and solar renewable energies to be implemented in phases and aiming to power 700 MW electrolyser to produce green hydrogen and ammonia. The project will contribute to meet the global demand in green hydrogen and ammonia to decarbonize the transportation, fertilizer and power generation sectors.

The first phase of the project will generate about 22,000 tons of green hydrogen per year for ammonia synthesis and is scheduled to be operational by 2026. According to the Agreement, by 2030 the project will scale up the total green hydrogen production capacity by reaching 80,000 tons per year.

The consortium has started the project conceptual design with a particular focus on maximizing the mix between wind and solar energy. Teams are also being mobilized to progress on the preliminary development steps such as land reservation, grid connection and shared facilities. By virtue of this Agreement, all stakeholders are committed to move forward to meet the project ambitious objectives.

The Framework Agreement was signed in the presence of the Minister of Electricity and Renewable Energy Dr. Mohamed Shaker and the Minister of Planning and Economic Development Dr. Hala Elsaid by Francois Dao, Vice-President, Middle East and Africa of EDF Renewables, Amr Elsawaf, Chairman of Zero Waste, Walid Gamal El Din, Chairman SCZONE, Sabah Mashaly, Chairperson EETC, Mohamed El Khayat, Chairman NREA and Ayman Soliman, CEO TSFE at a signing ceremony in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt.

Francois Dao, Vice-President, Middle East and Africa of EDF Renewables said: “The Egypt’s COP27 sets new cleaner targets by clearly positioning the country as a regional hub for green hydrogen production. Today’s framework agreement signature anchors our common commitment to scale up the green hydrogen generation and marks a key milestone for the region’s energy transition. We are proud to thrive the Egypt’s sustainable ambitions by creating local job opportunities in the country and are actively supporting the decarbonization process of the industries. This project is in line with EDF CAP 2030’s ambition to double its net renewable capacity from 28 GW to 60 GW between 2015 and 2030. As an extension, the project will also contribute to EDF’s Hydrogen plan which objective is to develop 3 GW electrolysis capacity by 2030.”

Amr Elsawaf, Chairman of Zero Waste said: “The strong, visionary leadership in Egypt has once again shown its commitment to provide a sustainable and better future for its people and the world. Having hosted a very successful COP 27 in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt once again proved to the world that it is open for business. We are proud to contribute and be part of the path Egypt has taken to becoming a regional green fuel hub by offering zero-carbon fuel to the maritime industry crossing the Suez Canal. With the abundance of wind and solar resources available in Egypt and the commitment of the Egyptian leadership to drive the green energy transition, we are more and more convinced that choosing to develop our Green Fuel Alliance project in Egypt is the correct choice.  For decades, as a family we have been involved in the development of strategically important projects in Egypt and are very much looking forward to continuing with the tradition, by developing the full value chain for this important green hydrogen and green ammonia fuel bunkering project in Egypt powered 100% from renewable sources, with a capacity of 500,000 tons of green ammonia per year.”