Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources Tarek El Molla chaired the meeting of the Higher Committee for Petroleum Projects to review the engineering and construction work progress for a number of new refining and petrochemical projects being implemented, the ministry said in a statement.

El Molla reviewed a project for the construction of a diesel production complex at the Assiut National Oil Processing Company (ANOPC) and a project for expansions of the MIDOR refinery in Alexandria, in addition to the project of a coking complex and the establishment of a coal production unit at the Suez Oil Processing Company.

During the meeting, El Molla highlighted the importance of these projects due to the added value they achieve and support for the national economy, as well as their important role in securing a large part of the local market’s needs of petroleum and chemical products and reducing import quantities.

The minister stressed adhering to the specific time frames for implementing the phases of new projects in accordance with the highest quality standards through the use of the latest technologies and working to overcome any challenges. This comes through full coordination and integration between the sector’s companies and the concerned authorities in the country to expedite putting those projects into production, while remaining committed to acceptable safety, health, and environmental standards.

The reviewed projects also included the production of wood panels from rice straw ones, which is being implemented at the Padco Timber Technology Company in Beheira Governorate. This project is the first of its kind in Egypt, Africa, and the Middle East and the second in the world.