Mohamed Shaker, Egyptian Minister of Electricity and Renewable Energy discussed with Andreas Weicht, Minister of State for Energy at the German Federal Ministry of Economy and Energy, in a virtual meeting, prospects for cooperation in the field of renewable energy and hydrogen technologies.
On Wednesday, January 27th, 2021, Shaker spoke about the positive developments and the unprecedented expansion of the renewable energy sector in Egypt, and the growing interest in green hydrogen, free of carbon emissions, as a pillar of sustainable development efforts.
Shaker also praised Egypt’s transformation into a regional energy center and the competitiveness of the Egyptian renewable energy sector, especially in terms of the low cost of generating power from solar and wind energy, besides the availability of potentials to generate 90 GW of solar and wind power, according to the Energy Atlas.
Shaker emphasized that hydrogen is a major focus of the ongoing efforts to modernize the Egyptian renewable energy strategy 2035, pointing to the formation of an Egyptian ministerial committee to develop a national strategy for hydrogen production and export.
The Minister of Electricity listed opportunities for cooperation with German companies in hydrogen development-related fields, such as research and scientific cooperation, training, and capacity building.
He pointed to the signing of a letter of intent with the German company “Siemens” to start studies for implementing a pilot project in the field of carbon-free green hydrogen.
For his part, the German Minister explained the great importance Germany attaches to strengthening its investment and economic relations with Egypt, especially in the energy and hydrogen sector. This comes within the framework of the German National Hydrogen Strategy, which was approved in June 2020, as Germany will depend on importing hydrogen from abroad, especially from the Middle East and North Africa region. In the forefront of which is Egypt to provide for its needs.
The German official affirmed his country’s support for the cooperation project between the Ministry of Electricity and Renewable Energy and “Siemens” company to implement a pilot project in the field of green hydrogen, as well as its willingness to expand cooperation with Egypt in all aspects of green hydrogen manufacturing and its derivatives for various applications.
Germany supports the cooperation between German and Egyptian companies and the promotion of investment opportunities in Egypt in the field of hydrogen, especially considering the presence of many successful models for German companies’ investments in the energy sector in Egypt.
