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Egypt Studies Plan to Export Green Electricity to ‘Europe’

Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly meets with officials of the Belgian company “Jan De Nul” for building and maintaining marine infrastructure. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly meets with officials of the Belgian company “Jan De Nul” for building and maintaining marine infrastructure. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Egypt Studies Plan to Export Green Electricity to ‘Europe’

Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly meets with officials of the Belgian company “Jan De Nul” for building and maintaining marine infrastructure. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly meets with officials of the Belgian company “Jan De Nul” for building and maintaining marine infrastructure. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

The Egyptian government on Tuesday approved the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the Egyptian Electricity Transmission Company and Belgian builder Jan De Nul to begin studies on a project to export electricity from renewable energy from Egypt to Europe via a Mediterranean Sea line.

Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly termed the project as “strategic” to Egypt and Europe, noting that Egypt plans to extend marine electricity transmission lines to several European countries.

This came during his meeting with De Nul Jean-Peter Joseph, the CEO of Jan De Nul company that specializes in building and maintenance of marine infrastructure, and Wim Dhont, Manager Offshore Cables at Jan De Nul Group.

The meeting was also attended by Egyptian Minister of Electricity Mohamed Shaker and Ambassador of Egypt to Belgium and the EU Ambassador Badr Abdel Ati.

It was held on the sidelines of the Global Gateway Forum organized by the European Commission on 25 and 26 October.

Madbouly noted that many international firms are interested in investing in marine cable projects, adding that Egypt can export electricity to Europe but this is hinged on the implementation of the electrical interconnection network with the continent.

The minister added that the climate challenges are accelerating, and this requires increasing investments in renewable energy.

For his part, the CEO of the company showcased the company’s work mechanism, how to lay cables in the deep sea, and the company’s previous work in this domain.

Moreover, he expressed the company’s readiness to cooperate with Egypt in similar projects for electrical interconnection between Egypt and European countries wishing to obtain electricity from Egypt.

The CEO stressed that North Africa is expected to be a prime source in exporting electricity generated from renewable energy to Europe given its high potential in this field.

He went on to say that renewable energy is “the future”.

Meanwhile, the Cabinet announced that the first phase of the Belgian company Demi's project to produce green hydrogen in the port of Jargoub in Egypt will cost about $3 billion.

It added in a statement that Demi CEO Luc Vandenloeck said during his meeting with the Egyptian PM that the company is interested in expanding green hydrogen projects in Egypt.

The statement added that the project will be implemented in three phases

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FAO Aims for Key Outcomes at COP16 in Saudi Arabia

Preparations in the Saudi capital ahead of hosting the COP16 conference on combating desertification (from the “COP16” page on the X platform)
Preparations in the Saudi capital ahead of hosting the COP16 conference on combating desertification (from the “COP16” page on the X platform)
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FAO Aims for Key Outcomes at COP16 in Saudi Arabia

Preparations in the Saudi capital ahead of hosting the COP16 conference on combating desertification (from the “COP16” page on the X platform)
Preparations in the Saudi capital ahead of hosting the COP16 conference on combating desertification (from the “COP16” page on the X platform)

Dr. Abdul Hakim Elwaer, Assistant Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), stated that the organization will take an active role at COP16, the UN conference on combating desertification, scheduled to take place in Saudi Arabia in early December.

In remarks to Asharq Al-Awsat, he expressed confidence that the conference—the first of its kind in the Middle East—would produce significant outcomes.

Elwaer’s comments came during a roundtable organized by FAO’s regional office in Cairo, attended by a select group of media representatives. The session focused on FAO’s participation in the upcoming conference and the importance of the Rio Trio —the integrated framework of the three major UN conventions addressing climate change, biodiversity conservation, and desertification.

Fida Haddad, FAO’s Program Officer for Land Rehabilitation and Climate Change, highlighted the interconnectedness of the three conventions and noted that COP16 would place a strong emphasis on land and water rehabilitation and their sustainable management.

Haddad pointed out that approximately 90% of the Middle East is affected by arid conditions. Despite this, local communities and Arab governments have made notable progress in addressing desertification and drought. She also announced that, for the first time, FAO has successfully placed food systems on the COP16 agenda, enabling discussions on how land rehabilitation can enhance food supply chains and systems.

Elwaer underscored FAO’s central role in achieving the second Sustainable Development Goal (SDG): eradicating hunger. He emphasized that FAO actively engages in the UN conventions on climate change, biodiversity, and desertification, which collectively contribute to this mission.

FAO’s focus, according to Elwaer, is on transforming food and agricultural systems to become more inclusive, efficient, and sustainable, aiming for better production, nutrition, and livelihoods. He highlighted the organization’s success in integrating these priorities into the agendas of the three conventions and collaborating with host countries on joint initiatives.

He further noted that Saudi Arabia’s hosting of COP16 is particularly significant for the region, which faces pressing challenges such as water scarcity, desertification, and food insecurity. The conference presents an opportunity for Middle Eastern nations to highlight these issues, explore solutions, and ensure their inclusion in global environmental discussions, not only at this event but in future COP sessions, he underlined.

Elwaer emphasized the growing global attention on desertification, as it is now impacting regions previously unaffected, such as southern Europe and parts of Latin America. These areas are witnessing alarming declines in arable land and forests, prompting them to seek lessons from the Arab world, which has developed resilience strategies to combat desertification over centuries.

FAO will have a strong presence at COP16, with two dedicated pavilions—one in the Blue Zone for official delegations and another in the Green Zone to engage civil society and conference participants, he said.

He added that in collaboration with Saudi Arabia and the UN, FAO will lead coordination on Food Day and Governance Day, scheduled for December 5 and 6, respectively. The organization will also participate in other specialized sessions throughout the conference.