Dr Mohamed Farid Saleh, Minister of Investment and Foreign Trade, met Mr Robert Valk, CEO of the Renergy Group Consortium, to review implementation of what the source describes as Egypt’s largest green-energy project. The development combines green hydrogen, solar power and battery-energy storage. The meeting also considered a hyperscale data-centre proposal designed to use Egypt’s strategic location and direct submarine-cable connections.
El-Tor project plan
The green-hydrogen and solar-power development in El-Tor, Sinai, is planned across an estimated 127 square kilometres with a 4-kilometre frontage on the Red Sea. The Minister reviewed comprehensive technical studies completed by Renergy Group over two years at a cost of €5 million. The studies found the soil suitable for secure, sealed water reservoirs used in energy generation.
The project aims to produce 400,000 tons of liquid green hydrogen each year, with all output intended for European countries. The implementation plan has two phases: the first has an export capacity of 160,000 tons per year; the second brings production capacity to 400,000 tons.
Green hyperscale data centre
The consortium also proposed a hyperscale data centre powered entirely by the project’s green energy, with targeted investment approaching $1 billion. The initial plan starts with 10,000 square metres and provides for expansion to 500,000 square metres, which would make it one of the region’s largest centres. Seawater would be used for cooling, with the aim of attracting international companies seeking green data services.
A hyperscale data centre is a very large computing facility designed for the data-processing needs of companies such as Amazon, Google and Microsoft. It can expand quickly to accommodate thousands of servers and is used for cloud-computing services and big-data storage, with correspondingly high energy demand.
Requirements and next steps
Dr Farid asked the consortium to submit a comprehensive file containing the feasibility study, technical presentation, financing structure and participating partners. He said the Ministry would support investments that combine clean energy and advanced technology.
The Minister also called for coordination with the Ministries of Communications and Electricity, the Sinai Development Authority and relevant security agencies so the project meets national-security requirements and technical specifications.
The consortium representatives praised the Ministry of Investment and Foreign Trade’s swift response and cooperation. They confirmed that a comprehensive technical presentation would be prepared in line with the Minister’s directions and reported a preliminary agreement and significant interest from Japanese investors in financing the data centre as part of their strategic expansion.
