Alaa El-Din Abdel Fattah, Chairman of the Egyptian Petrochemicals Holding Company (ECHEM) conducted a field visit to review the progress in the construction at the Damietta project of the Suez Methanol Derivatives Company, one of ECHEM’s key petrochemical projects.
The Damietta unit is developed to produce value-added derivatives that support downstream industries and reduce Egypt’s reliance on imports. It is designed to produce around 140,000 tons per year (t/y) of value-added petrochemical products, supporting several downstream industries, including fertilizers, furniture, wood panels, medium-density fiberboard (MDF), and ready-mix concrete.
The project’s output will serve diverse applications, from acting as an anti‑caking agent in urea fertilizers to providing adhesives and glues for wood and furniture manufacturing. It will also deliver materials that improve the performance of ready‑mix concrete..
During the visit, Abdel Fattah held a meeting with senior executives from Suez Methanol Derivatives Company, headed by Chairperson Reham Abdel Fattah, and senior representatives of Egypt Maintenance Company (EMC), led by Chairman Mohsen Kotb. EMC is the project’s main contractor.
The meeting reviewed the project’s overall execution status, construction progress, occupational health and safety indicators, and the plan for completing the remaining works during the upcoming period.
Following the meeting, Abdel Fattah inspected the project’s work sites, stressing coordination among stakeholders and adherence to the established timeline to support the completion of construction works and reach the trial operation stage as soon as possible.
He also emphasized occupational health and safety, commended the project teams’ efforts, and urged continued efficient execution to achieve the targeted production capacity.
The project aligns with the Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources’ strategy to expand production of specialized petrochemical products, maximize the value added of Egypt’s resources, support local industries, and reduce the country’s import bill.
In March 2026, ECHEM unveiled a five-year plan to develop 10 projects to localize more than 20 petrochemical products for domestic and international markets. The plan targets a combined production capacity of 7.5 million t/y and estimated investments of $11 billion.
