Egypt has officially launched a National Clean Hydrogen Programme in partnership with the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), cementing its position as the African continent’s leading green hydrogen nation and deepening its ambition to capture up to eight per cent of the global hydrogen market by 2040.
The programme, announced by the General Authority for the Suez Canal Economic Zone (SCZONE), is designed to advance Egypt’s transition toward a competitive, low-carbon economy built on green hydrogen production and export. Core activities include pre-feasibility and feasibility studies for priority projects, technical advisory for policy development, strengthening institutional capacities, and the establishment of a Green Hydrogen Centre of Excellence at SCZONE’s headquarters in Sokhna — intended to serve as a hub for technical innovation and sector governance.
Egypt’s green hydrogen ambitions are underpinned by a formidable track record: an $83 billion project pipeline, more than $215 billion in foreign direct investment attracted between 2021 and 2023 — over 80 per cent concentrated in the SCZONE — and a string of global firsts, including the launch of Africa’s first integrated green hydrogen facility in November 2022 and the world’s first green ammonia shipment from the SCZONE in November 2023. The national strategy targets production of 5.8 million metric tonnes of green hydrogen by 2040.
A steering committee overseeing implementation brings together the SCZONE General Authority, UNIDO, the Ministry of Environment, the Ministry of Electricity and Renewable Energy, and the Ministry of Industry, coordinated with Egypt’s National Council for Green Hydrogen. The initiative is part of UNIDO’s Global Clean Hydrogen Programme, funded by the Global Environment Facility, which spans ten nations — with Egypt identified as a pivotal regional leader.
Source: egyptoil-gas.com