Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources Tarek El Molla and Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation Hani Sweilem witnessed the signing of a joint cooperation protocol between the two ministries.

The protocol comes as the two ministries join forces to overcome the challenges facing investment and strategic projects implemented by the petroleum sector that achieve economic development in various governorates of Egypt.

The geological protocol was signed by Alaa El Batal, Chairman of the Egyptian General Petroleum Corporation (EGPC), and Mohamed Saleh, Head of the Irrigation Department, in the presence of the leaders of the two ministries.

Under this protocol, the Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation will provide and meet the necessary water needs for a number of new petroleum projects implemented by the petroleum sector in Upper Egypt and the Nile Delta region to sustain the provision of petroleum products in these regions.

These projects include the Assiut Oil Refinery Project by establishing a new distillation unit to double the company’s production capacity, and the Assiut National Oil Processing Company (ANOPC) project by establishing a diesel production complex,

The projects further include the bioethanol project in Damietta Port through the Egyptian Bioethanol Company. It aims to produce 122,000 tons of bioethanol from renewable fuel quality.

Following the signing, El Molla highlighted the importance of new petroleum projects, whether in Upper Egypt or the Nile Delta region, because of their positive impact in achieving added value from Egypt’s natural resources.

El Molla stated that the Ministry’s strategy pays great attention to implementing zero liquid discharge (ZLD) industrial wastewater treatment projects to treat and recycle water for use again in all petroleum activities, in order to preserve water resources and achieve sustainable development and environmental compatibility.

Moreover, El Molla thanked the joint work team from the two ministries for their efforts and cooperation that culminated in the signing of this protocol. He added that the ministry looks forward to more joint cooperation in the new petroleum projects planned to be implemented during the coming periods.

For his part, Sweilem explained that this protocol is a good start for more fruitful cooperation between the two ministries, praising the approach of the Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources and the work mechanism that is applied in all its petroleum projects and its interest in implementing ZLD industrial wastewater treatment projects to treat and recycle water for use again in accordance with international standards.

Sweilem stated that it represents a successful model that should be emulated in the various sectors of the state, in line with the state’s direction in rationalizing and preserving Egypt’s water resources.