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The refinancing of six plants at the Benban solar park in Upper Egypt is a key landmark for strategic investors Scatec and Africa50, but also for the lenders involved in the newly issued green bond and for the Egyptian government. By crowding private sector capital into renewable energy (RE) projects, the transaction is an example of blended finance in action. It could point the way to further private sector support for African RE projects

SDX Energy has announced a spate of development drilling in Egypt, following a strategy outlined in its 2021 annual report.

Amea Power’s memorandum of understanding with a strategic group of Egyptian state entities places the UAE-based power developer among a small but growing number of investors contributing to building a green hydrogen hub at the southern entrance of the Suez Canal

The Egyptian government is pressing on with economic reforms despite a commodities price shock caused by the Ukraine war. With at least $22bn in support pledged by Gulf allies in recent weeks – and talks about further assistance from the IMF – the government is maintaining cheap bread for the people while indicating that other structural measures, such as energy sector liberalisation, will continue.

Less than three weeks after Norway’s Scatec signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to develop an export-focused green hydrogen and green ammonia production facility in the Suez Canal Economic Zone, Danish shipping giant AP Moller-Maersk has signed an MoU with exactly the same team of key institutions to explore the establishment of large-scale green fuel production in the zone

Petroleum minister Tarek El Molla has confirmed the appointment of former Egyptian General Petroleum Corporation (EGPC) chairman Abed Ezz El Regal as Abu Qir chairman and managing director. 

Norway’s Scatec ASA now has a choice of green hydrogen (GH2) projects in Egypt. Just months after signing pioneering agreement with fertilizer producer Fertiglobe, Scatec has signed up for a multi-gigawatt export-driven scheme in the Suez Canal Economic Zone, alongside The Sovereign Fund of Egypt, Egyptian Electricity Transmission Company (EETC) and New and Renewable Energy Authority (NREA). Abu Qir Fertilizers and Chemical Industries – now run by former Egyptian General Petroleum Corporation (EGPC) chairman Abed Ezz El Regal – is also studying a GH2 and ammonia project.

Among Russia’s portfolio of interests in Africa – which include a large military sales business and nuclear development ambitions – state-owned entities such as Gazprom, Gazpromneft and Rosneft have built up hydrocarbons industry interests in markets around the continent, from Algeria in the north to Nigeria, and Angola and Mozambique south of the Sahara.  African Energy examines Russia's investments in Africa's upstream sector and its possible strategic objectives.

Ethiopia’s ‘unilateral action’ in starting limited power generation at the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (Gerd) violates its diplomatic obligations, Egyptian foreign minister Sameh Shoukry told the Council of the League of Arab States on 9 March.

Lekela Power has formally inaugurated the commercial operation of its 250MW West Bakr wind  farm in the Gulf of Suez, which operates turbines installed by Siemens Gamesa.

The Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources has signed a memorandum of understanding with a coalition of local and international companies to support the decarbonisation of downstream facilities in Egypt.

Egyptian Electric Utility and Consumer Protection Regulatory Agency (EgyptERA) is growing into the role envisaged for the power sector regulator in the landmark 2015 Electricity Law. The electricity industry regulator has been busy with the issuing and renewal of generation and distribution licences to private businesses, which are opening significant niches in Egypt’s huge energy market – chipping away at the huge role still played by state-owned enterprises gathered under the Egyptian Electricity Holding Company (EEHC) umbrella. EgyptERA has recently awarded a licence to private sector renewables developer Karm Solar to run a mini-grid supplying resorts and hotels in the Red Sea resort of Marsa Alam. It has also renewed licences for Emac Utilities and Services’ diesel-fired scheme at Port Ghalib and for industrial park operator Al-Tajamouat Investment Egypt – Taqa Power’s Global Power Company subsidiary, which has industrial and tourism-related clients, and real estate developer Amer Group.

A range of potential buyers including African Infrastructure Investment Managers (AIIM) and a string of Chinese firms are eyeing up a majority stake in wind power developer Lekela Power, which has installed more than 1GW of capacity in South Africa, Egypt and Senegal.

The commercial use of thermolysis or pyrolysis to convert organic waste into biofuels, syngas or pure hydrogen is still experimental in Africa, although the underlying technology is relatively well-established elsewhere. Most of the 22 operating biogas power plants recorded in African Energy Live Data use other methods. Early adopters of the technology include the Ford Silverton plant in Pretoria, H2-Industries and Oak Group Holdings in Egypt, Ghana’s Kumasi Technical University and the British Nigerian Pyrogenesys-led consortium. Success for any one of them will open wide new commercial opportunities, while also helping to address pressing environmental concerns.

Germany and US-based experimental energy storage and trading company H2-Industries has obtained preliminary approval from Egypt’s General Authority for the Suez Canal Economic Zone to develop an unprecedentedly large $3bn waste-to-hydrogen plant in East Port Said using thermolyzing technology. The project also includes a substantial power generation component. African Energy’s John Hamilton spoke to H2-I executive chairman Michael Stusch to obtain details of capacities, financing, expected pricing, and the next steps.