Egypt and France signed a collaboration  agreement for the development, financing, construction, and operation of an integrated plant for the production of green hydrogen and its derivatives, including green ammonia, in the vicinity of the Ras Shukeir area.

Signed on the sidelines of French President Emmanuel Macron’s recent visit to Egypt, the agreement falls within the broader framework of the strategic cooperation between the two countries.

The agreement was signed between the Red Sea Ports Authority and the New and Renewable Energy Authority (NREA), in partnership with the Green Fuel Alliance consisting of the French company EDF Renewables and Egyptian-Emirati company Zero Waste.

Deputy Prime Minister for Industrial Development and Minister of Industry and Transport, Kamel El-Wazir, stated that this agreement comes in line with the presidential directives that aim to encourage and promote the localization of the industry of green hydrogen and its derivatives and create a suitable investment climate that further reinforces Egypt’s position as a regional and global hub for energy and green fuel.

Furthermore, the agreement reflects the distinguished political ties and strong mutual commitment of the political leadership and the peoples of both countries. It also highlights their shared keenness to enhance cooperation for mutual interests and prosperity. 

The project aims to produce one million tons of green ammonia annually in three phases, starting in 2029, to support the state’s objectives in providing clean fuel for ship bunkering, in addition to exporting to global markets.

El-Wazir clarified that the EDF Renewables and Zero Waste alliance will inject direct investments worth €2 billion to finance the first phase of this integrated project to produce  300,000 tons of green ammonia annually. The total investment cost for the three phases is expected to reach €7 billion to produce one million tons annually, fully financed by the project’s developers.

The agreement was signed by Mohamed Abdel Rahim, Chairman of the Red Sea Ports Authority; Ehab Ismail, NREA Chairman; Amr ElSawaf, Chairman of Zero Waste; and Béatrice Buffon, EDF Group Senior Executive Vice-President in charge of the International Division and CEO of EDF Renewables.

The signing was witnessed by Minister El-Wazir; Mahmoud Esmat, Minister of Electricity and Renewable Energy; and Eric Lombard, Minister of the Economy, Finance and Industry of France.