Egypt is hosting the upcoming United Nations Climate Change Conference also known as the Conference of the Parties (COP27) in Sharm El Shiekh this November 2022.
The worldwide-anticipated event takes place annually and was lastly held in Africa 5 years ago, in Marrakech, Morocco.
This article by Clean Energy Business Council (CEBC) on Linkedin displays the impact COP27 could have on Egypt's sustainable development, not only in the conference’s city, Sharm El Shiekh, but nationwide.
Egypt authorities have not yet announced the country’s commitment to reaching net-zero emissions. However, plans have been declared to increase the share of renewables by 20% in 2022 and 42% by 2035.
Besides already existing mega projects like Benban solar park and Zafarana wind farm, the Egyptian Solar Plan aims to add 3.5GW of solar energy by 2027.
The Ministry of Electricity and Renewable Energy has signed MoUs worth $500Mn for solar and wind projects, and large spaces have been reserved for wind energy projects.
Recently, Egypt launched the national climate change strategy 2050 for which the country is seeking to attract $324 billion in international funding to implement.
Sectors including energy, transportation, agriculture, and water resources are being targeted. The program strategy consists of two main steps the first is mitigation which is expected to cost $ 211 million and the second is adaptation at a cost of $113 million.
What is happening in Sharm El Shiekh?
Sharm El Shiek is one of the top touristic destinations in the world located on the southern tip of the Sinai Peninsula as a habitat of nature.
Sustainable development prior to COP27 in the city includes rationalizing the consumption of resources, establishing charging stations for electric vehicles, reducing waste, increasing the frequency of recycling, and energy recovery of waste.
Transportation has special care from the government as COP27 is approaching, the state is building 140 electric buses, and 120 natural gas-operated buses.
The buses are expected to be delivered on 30 September. While 50 new electric charging stations are under construction in different places in the city to serve private electric cars.
The development projects expanded to include developing and raising the efficiency of facilities, roads, infrastructure, and utilities in the city. The capacity of the city increased from 7.5 million annually to 9.5 million passengers to keep pace with the increasing tourist traffic.
Sharm El Shiekh has nearly 413 hotels. A major step was taken by the prime minister of Egypt instructing the hotels and tourist establishments of Sharm el-Sheikh to present a green certificate as proof of the application of environmentally friendly practices.
Internationally acclaimed companies like Schneider Electric (CEBC Member) developed the EcoStruxure platform to support Egypt’s environmentally friendly plans to transform Sharm El-Sheikh into a sustainable and green city.
The platform aims to decrease energy consumption and provide safety solutions for employees and guests in hotels.
Schneider Electric also commissioned a solar park with a capacity of 5 MWp in Sharm el Sheikh, which is expected to reduce the CO2 emissions by 3,000 tons of CO2 each year. Bringing the total to four stations that can produce up to 20 megawatts of power.
Egypt’s ambition to become a green hydrogen hub worldwide
The sum of the potential green fuel investments signed recently by the Suez Canal Economic Zone (SCZONE) has reached almost USD 10 billion. This is turning the area into a massive world green hydrogen production firm.
SCZONE has signed several memoranda of understanding (MOU) for the development of green hydrogen and green ammonia projects in the Ain Sokhna region of Egypt.
Some of them are:
· The UAE-based Masdar and Hassan Allam Utilities, the investment and development arm of Hassan Allam Holding Group, have reached two agreements to develop green hydrogen production plants in the Suez Canal Economic Zone and on the Mediterranean coast.
· In April, a consortium of EDF Renewables and UAE-based Zero Waste signed an MoU with the General Authority for Suez Canal Economic Zone, The Sovereign Fund of Egypt, Egyptian Electricity Transmission Company and New and Renewable Energy Authority.
The MoU aims at establishing a green ammonia bunkering project in Egypt at a total investment of $3 billion.
· In March, Norway's Scatec had signed an MoU with SCZone, TSFE, EETC, and NREA to develop a large-scale green ammonia facility in Egypt.
· In February 2022, New York-headquartered H2-Industries had announced that it received preliminary approval from SCZone to develop a waste to hydrogen plant at East Port Said.
Not only green hydrogen, as Honeywell (CEBC member) is set to invest around $200 million in petrochemicals and green fuel production for airplanes in Egypt.
E-mobility is changing Egypt's transportation forever
Egypt is currently establishing massive transportation projects including the electric monorail which is expected to provide Egyptians with a fast and environmentally- friendly means of transportation from the New Administrative Capital and 6th of October City to Greater Cairo.
Recently Siemens Mobility (CEBC member) and its consortium partners Orascom Construction and The Arab Contractors have signed a contract with the Egyptian National Authority for Tunnels (NAT).
The deal will result in Egypt having the sixth-largest high-speed rail system in the world connecting 60 cities nationwide.
Egypt is one of the fastest-growing economies in the region, the country is trying to be a friendly eco-system for investors worldwide to innovate and base their technologies.
We hope Egypt manages to achieve all of the announced green energy and sustainable plans and be able to join the MENA countries committed to Net-Zero including UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Oman.