The overall production of Methanex Egypt, the country’s sole producer of Methanol, reached 1.1 million tons (mmt) in 2025, recording 1.5 million safe man-hours without injuries, Mohamed Shindy, Managing Director of Methanex Egypt, told the company’s General Assembly convened to approve the 2025 fiscal year (FY) financial results.

The company has exported over 12 mmt to European and Asian markets since its inception, securing consistent foreign currency inflows for the Egyptian economy

Shindy explained that Methanex Egypt has been a catalyst for domestic market growth, with production directed to domestic use rising over the past fifteen years from about 20,000 tons to nearly 200,000 tons annually. He underscored the resource’s economic leverage, noting that methanol generates triple its base value once processed into downstream industrial applications.

The sector’s momentum is set to accelerate with the imminent launch of the Suez Methanol Derivatives plant. Fed by a newly completed pipeline, the facility will funnel an additional 58,000 tonnes into the local market, further cementing Egypt’s petrochemical self-sufficiency, according to Shindy.

Methanex Egypt is the local joint venture (JV) of the Canadian Methanex Corporation, which owns a 50% stake. The $1billion Damietta facility is Methanex’s only methanol production site in Egypt and represents the largest Canadian investment in the country’s petrochemical sector.

Shindy explained that  Methanex Egypt operates through a JV with petroleum sector companies, including the Egyptian Petrochemicals Company (The Egyptian Petrochemicals Holding Company (ECHEM)), the Egyptian Natural Gas Company (EGAS), the Egyptian Natural Gas Company (GASCO), along with the Arab Petroleum Investments Corporation (APICORP).

Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources Karim Badawi, who chaired the assembly meeting, praised the company’s pivotal role in meeting domestic demand and generating an export surplus. Moreover, Badawi directed a feasibility study for future expansions to bolster export capacities in response to rising global demand. He emphasized that human capital remains the sector’s “true treasure,” highlighting the partnership with Methanex and the American University in Cairo (AUC) to graduate the first cohort of the professional diploma in Process Safety Management (PSM) last February.

To ensure long-term asset integrity, Methanex recently signed a new agreement with the Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources (MoPMR) to support the third phase of the capacity-building program. This initiative focuses on strengthening operational safety standards across the petroleum, natural gas, and petrochemical sectors.

Methanex Corporation is a Canadian company that supplies, distributes, and markets methanol worldwide. Methanex is the world’s largest producer and supplier of methanol to major international markets in North and South America, Europe, and the Asia Pacific.