The Egyptian International Gas Technology Company (GASTEC), an EGAS affiliate, signed a cooperation agreement with Novartis Egypt for Pharmaceuticals to supply biogas to the latter’s factory in Cairo. This is within the framework of the fourth and fifth pillars of the Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources’ (MoPMR) strategy, which are focused on diversifying sustainable energy sources, promoting environmental sustainability, and reducing emissions.

The supply will be carried out through GASTEC’s advanced truck-transported compressed natural gas system.

The agreement was signed by Abdelfattah Farahat, GASTEC Chairman and Managing Director, and Islam Anwar, Head of Technical Operations at Novartis Egypt.

Farahat said that GASTEC is consistently expanding the use of natural gas in a variety of ways, in line with the pillars of the MoPMR’s strategy which aims to uphold environmental standards and sustainable development, and create the highest added value from natural resources, all within the framework of Egypt’s Vision 2030 and the global Sustainable Development Goals.

He expressed his enthusiasm about the cooperation with Novartis Egypt–one of the world’s largest pharmaceutical companies, emphasizing that the use of biogas strikes an ideal balance between operational efficiency and environmental preservation.

He noted that GASTEC looks forward to more joint projects that support the national economy and preserve the environment.

For his part, Anwar praised the partnership with GASTEC, pointing out that the project supports the environmental sustainability efforts at Novartis’s factory and its pharmaceutical production units. Moreover, it marks a qualitative milestone for pharmaceutical factories in Egypt, making the Novartis factory rely entirely on clean energy in its operations.

It is worth mentioning that the project is considered the first of its kind in Egypt for the production, filtering, and treatment of biogas to extract biomethane and transport it for industrial use.