Swiss Smartenergy to set up 1-GW green H2 complex in Egypt

Swiss investment firm Smartenergy Group AG will collaborate with the Egyptian government to probe the feasibility of building a 1-GW green hydrogen production and distribution complex in the Arab country.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the initiative was signed with the Sovereign Fund of Egypt, the Suez Canal Economic Zone, the New and Renewable Energy Authority, and Egyptian Electricity Transmission. The pact will enable Smartenergy to carry out feasibility and engineering studies for the project, the Swiss firm said on Thursday.

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The project concept, which has already been greenlit by the Egyptian government, envisages the production of 150,000 tonnes of green hydrogen annually, set to be converted into 830,000 tonnes of e-ammonia. The output will be used in the production of fertilisers and as green fuel in the maritime industry, both on the domestic market and overseas.

The ambitious plan will be underpinned by the deployment of 2.6 GW of solar and wind power generation capacity.

"Egypt is an extraordinary market from a strategic perspective for the production and distribution of green hydrogen and its derivatives, such as eAmmonia," said Joao Cunha, deputy CEO of Smartenergy. He added that the country’s abundant wind and solar resources, vast land areas and strategic connection to Europe and Asia make it a suitable location for such projects.