UAE's Masdar eyes green hydrogen production in Egypt

Abu Dhabi's renewable energy firm Masdar and Cairo-based Hassan Allam Utilities plan to develop green hydrogen projects in Egypt, Masdar said on April 24.

Masdar and Hassan Allam Utilities have signed two memoranda of understanding with Egyptian state-backed organisations to cooperate on the development of green hydrogen production plants in the Suez Canal Economic Zone and on the Mediterranean coast.  

The Egyptian organisations concerned include the New and Renewable Energy Authority, the Egyptian Electricity Transmission Company, the Sovereign Fund of Egypt, and the General Authority for Suez Canal Economic Zone.  

In the project's first phase, Hassan Allam Utilities and Masdar aim to bring a green hydrogen manufacturing facility online by 2026, producing 100,000 metric tons of e-methanol annually for bunkering in the Suez Canal. The electrolyser facilities in the Suez Canal Economic Zone and on the Mediterranean could be expanded to up to 4 GW by 2030 to produce 2.3mn mt of green ammonia for export as well as supply green hydrogen for local industries.

Masdar and Hassan Allam Utilities see Egypt as a hub for green hydrogen production, targeting the bunkering market and export to Europe. “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,” Masdar said.