The German-Arab chamber of industry and commerce (AHK Egypt) kicked off Day 1 of the German business delegation titled "Sustainable Decarbonization Technologies for Industry" at its Cairo premises on June 29, 2026, and this high-level gathering focused heavily on the energy-intensive steel, cement, and fertilizer sectors.
The Delegation is supported by the “Energy Solutions – made in Germany” Program as part of the German Energy Solutions Initiative of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWE).
To maximize the practical impact of this international exchange, the agenda successfully combined an executive business roundtable with a dynamic networking brunch. By bringing together government representatives including Dr. Nermine Abulata Senior Advisor to the Minister of Industry and National Coordinator of CBAM Ministerial Committee and Eng. Hussein El Ghezzawi, Advisor to the Minister of Industry, alongside international technology providers such as Siemens Industry, INP Egypt and thyssenkrupp Uhde, as well as major financial institutions including EBRD and KFW, the chamber established a vital interactive platform for exploring real-world industrial transformation. This in addition to key industry stakeholders, including the Environmental Compliance Office of the Federation of Egyptian Industries and the Arab Fertilizers Association.
Kicking off the morning session, the day 1 of the delegation transitioned into an exclusive Executive Business Roundtable focused on industrial decarbonization. AHK Egypt CEO Maren Diale-Schellschmidt welcomed the attendees, and she highlighted the significance of the specialized German business delegation. During her welcoming remarks, she emphasized the strong interest of the Egyptian Ministry of Industry in green initiatives, and she praised the high potential for new engagements from German companies in the local market. To ensure a highly productive morning, she outlined the interactive format of the roundtable. Instead of relying on traditional one-way presentations, she encouraged an active exchange of experiences between the visiting German technology providers, Egyptian government officials, and prominent financial institutions.
Following this introduction, Edwin Stuhrberg, representing the Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs and Energy, responsible for the Export Initiatives, Market Development Program, Partnering in Business with Germany, delivered his remarks, and he firmly underscored Germany's strategic backing for this international business mission. Highlighting concrete national targets, he noted Germany's ambitious constitutional goal to become entirely greenhouse gas neutral by the year 2045. Additionally, he pointed out the official German objective to establish a domestic electrolysis capacity of at least 10 gigawatts by 2030, and he positioned Egypt as a vital partner in fulfilling this massive future demand for green hydrogen. Representing the Export Initiatives and Market Development Program, he praised the ongoing Egyptian-German Green Hydrogen Partnership, and he expressed strong confidence in building secure, localized value chains through these collaborative business delegations.
Transitioning to Egypt's macroeconomic strategies, Dr. Nermin Abuelatta, Senior Advisor to the Minister of Industry and National Coordinator of CBAM Ministerial Committee, detailed the government's proactive approach to industrial decarbonization. Highlighting the shift from voluntary to mandatory green practices, she explained that Egypt is accelerating its national climate targets, and the country now aims to achieve a 42% renewable energy mix by 2028 instead of 2030. Furthermore, she outlined an ambitious economic vision to raise annual exports to 145 billion dollars, and she noted the government's goal to attract 60 billion dollars in annual foreign direct investments. Addressing international trade regulations, she stressed the importance of adapting to the European Union's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) to protect local heavy industries. To support these massive goals, she highlighted the recent launch of a level-two industrial environmental register, and she confirmed the government's focus on boosting smart manufacturing across 7 priority sectors.
Continuing the discussion on sustainable market development, Eng. Hussein El Ghezzawi, Advisor to the Minister of Industry, presented massive local opportunities for renewable energy integration. To combat the growing gap between industrial energy demand and natural gas supplies, he introduced the newly launched "Shams El Senaa" (Sun of the Industry) initiative to the German delegation. Through this ambitious program, the ministry targets the installation of rooftop solar panels on 7000 factories, and this figure represents a significant 10% of all registered industrial facilities in Egypt. By reaching the initiative's initial goal of generating 1000 megawatts of solar power, he calculated that the country will successfully save 244 million cubic meters of natural gas. Consequently, this saved fossil fuel will generate 1,600 million kilowatt-hours of electricity, and this massive output can efficiently power approximately 400,000 local households.
During the moderated open discussion, the participants engaged in extensive dialogues regarding the available financial instruments for industrial transformation. Representing the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), an official revealed that the institution is securing a 250 million dollar grant from the Climate Investment Fund to specifically support the decarbonization of Egyptian industries. Furthermore, the discussions highlighted the ongoing collaborative efforts to unify all green concessional finance options under a single "industrial decarbonization platform". Complementing this robust financial framework, representatives from the KfW Development Bank explained that the German institution is actively providing funds to two local banks for replacing old machinery with energy-efficient technologies. Additionally, it was noted that KfW's sister company, DEG, offers direct equity investments for private sector projects in Egypt, and this provides another solid avenue for sustainable funding. On a broader macroeconomic scale, participants from GIZ mentioned a 70 million euro fund backed by the European Union, and they explained that this initiative aims to unlock a massive demand run of 630 million euros for various decarbonization projects.
Addressing the rapidly changing global regulatory landscape, the attendees thoroughly examined the impending impact of the European Union's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) on local heavy industries. Government advisors stressed that Egypt is moving in the same green direction as Europe but at different speeds, and they emphasized the critical need to handle the CBAM timeline carefully to avoid harming local manufacturing production. To assist companies in adapting to these strict international standards, representatives from the Environmental Compliance Office of the Federation of Egyptian Industries (FEI) offered practical, on-the-ground solutions. During the session, it was highlighted that the federation represents over 100000 manufacturing facilities across 21 diverse industrial chambers, and the office provides essential technical and financial support to shift these immense industries toward a circular economy. Ultimately, the general consensus among the speakers affirmed that transitioning to sustainable practices is no longer voluntary, and it has become a mandatory requirement for maintaining global trade competitiveness.
Shifting the focus to localized cooperation, the roundtable provided actionable, strategic advice for the German delegation to successfully enter the Egyptian market. Local industry experts advised the visiting companies to present clear customer references, and they stressed the importance of building solid business cases showcasing a clear Return on Investment for Egyptian factories. Moreover, the participants recommended engaging directly with prominent Egyptian industrial zones and authorities, such as the Industrial Development Authority, to conduct customized training sessions for local executives. Highlighting the government's proactive role in facilitating these partnerships, Egyptian officials outlined various operational enablers, and these included tax incentives, customs benefits, and concessional finance tailored for priority sectors. By combining German technological innovation with Egyptian market scale and government support, the attendees identified immense potential for long-term, mutually beneficial business relations.
Transitioning into the afternoon session, the delegation featured a prominent keynote address by H.E. Eng. Khaled Hashim, the Egyptian Minister for Industry. Drawing on his extensive private-sector background as the former President and CEO for the Africa and Middle East region at Honeywell, the Minister brought a deeply practical perspective to the decarbonization dialogue. During his speech, he firmly stated that sustainable practices are no longer merely an optional luxury, and he emphasized that they must become an essential element embedded in daily business operations. To achieve these ambitious environmental goals, he strongly advocated for transforming theoretical ideas into concrete results on the ground through data-driven actions. Furthermore, he urged the attendees to build an aligned ecosystem involving technology providers, government policies, and financial institutions, and he called for mutually beneficial partnerships focusing heavily on technology transfer and local manufacturing in Egypt.
Following the Minister's address, Edwin Stuhrberg, representing Division VB4 - Export Initiatives, Market Development Program, Partnering in Business with Germany at the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, delivered a strategic welcome note. Highlighting Germany's ambitious climate targets, he pointed out the country's constitutional commitment to becoming entirely greenhouse gas neutral by the year 2045. To support this massive environmental shift, he explained that the German national hydrogen strategy mandates the establishment of a domestic electrolysis capacity reaching at least 10 gigawatts by 2030. Recognizing Egypt's optimal natural conditions for solar and wind energy generation, he positioned the host nation as a highly strategic partner capable of meeting this immense future demand. Furthermore, he praised the active Egyptian-German Green Hydrogen Partnership, and he expressed strong confidence that the six visiting German companies will significantly contribute to creating local value and ensuring long-term energy security in Egypt.
Shifting to local market opportunities, Eng. Hussein El Ghezzawi, Advisor to the Minister of Industry, delivered a localized market overview, and he specifically focused on the immense opportunities within the renewable energy supply chain. Acknowledging Germany's historical leadership in photovoltaic (PV) solar panels since the 1990s, he urged the visiting delegation to localize the entire manufacturing process in Egypt. To underscore the scale of upcoming opportunities, he revealed the government's strategic industrial goal to drastically increase non-oil exports from 48 billion dollars in 2025 to 145 billion dollars. Addressing the future of alternative fuels, he cited estimates from the European Investment Bank indicating that Egypt has the potential to produce 30 million tons of green hydrogen, and he expressed the country's readiness to locally manufacture critical infrastructure components like electrolyzers, ammonia storage, and compressors. Additionally, he pointed out that Egypt possesses between 30 and 45 million tons of municipal solid waste, and he encouraged German technology providers to utilize this massive resource to produce high-quality alternative fuels for the hard-to-abate cement and steel industries.
To provide practical financing solutions for these industrial transitions, Ahmed Kamal, Managing Director, Environmental Compliance and Sustainable Development Office (ECO), outlined the extensive support available to the local private sector. Representing the Federation of Egyptian Industries (FEI), he explained that the historic organization currently supports approximately 130,000 members across 22 diverse industrial chambers. To assist these manufacturing facilities in adopting green technologies, his office provides robust technical assistance alongside highly attractive financial services. Specifically, he highlighted a revolving fund offering soft loans to Egyptian companies, and these dedicated loans feature a remarkably low 3.5% interest rate, a one-year grace period, and a comfortable four-year repayment schedule. By utilizing these accessible funds, he noted that local factories can seamlessly invest in solar energy, clean tech equipment, and overall sustainability measures in direct cooperation with the specialized German delegation.
Following the insightful market overviews, the agenda progressed into a dedicated segment where each of the six participating German companies delivered a concise technical pitch to present their specific solutions. Transitioning into a highly interactive open discussion, the Egyptian Minister for Industry utilized this platform to strongly advocate for direct technology transfer from German Small and Medium Enterprises. Recognizing their unique technological capabilities, he stated that the next phase of bilateral economic cooperation should focus heavily on these specialized entities to replicate their dynamic success within the local market. To achieve a true win-win partnership, he repeatedly emphasized the urgent need to move beyond standard memorandums of understanding, and he stressed that localized manufacturing remains the ultimate requirement for any successful foreign investment.
During the technical showcases, one manufacturer highlighted a deep legacy of producing long-lasting industrial lead batteries since 1899, and the representative noted that these specific products boast a 15 to 20-year lifespan to significantly reduce environmental emissions. Engaging directly with this presentation, the Minister critically questioned the overall cost competitiveness of these units against Asian alternatives. To strongly incentivize local production, he firmly offered to secure a guaranteed off-take agreement for the next five to seven years if the manufacturer establishes a facility in Egypt. Subsequently, another technology provider introduced an advanced Organic Rankine Cycle system, and they explained how specialized screw expanders efficiently convert low-temperature industrial waste heat starting at 100 degrees Celsius into usable electricity. Drawing on his extensive engineering background, the Minister actively discussed the technical nuances between this specific low-temperature application and traditional combined cycle concepts. Adding to the technological diversity, other delegates showcased advanced gas and flow measurement solutions tailored for carbon capture, and a heating technology expert presented near-infrared modules that successfully reduce energy consumption by up to 35% while drastically slashing industrial drying times.
Furthermore, a specialized firm pitched a revolutionary microwave process designed to produce agricultural fertilizers without relying on fossil fuels. The presenter explained that their system uses exactly 130 kilowatt-hours of electrical energy alongside water and air to produce 100 kilograms of liquid nitrogen fertilizer equivalent, and this innovative method completely eliminates the traditional need for natural gas. Analyzing this proposition strategically, the Minister questioned the economic viability of replacing natural gas with heavy electricity consumption in a country that already acts as a net exporter of gas. Finally, another participating company demonstrated globally patented silicate-based lubricants, and they revealed that their unique additive technology can reduce mechanical friction by up to 34% and lower operating temperatures by 20% in heavy industrial machinery. Throughout these detailed exchanges, the Minister meticulously evaluated each technological solution, and he maintained a clear focus on acquiring practical, economically viable technologies to drive the national industrial decarbonization forward.
Following the productive discussions, the day 1 of the delegation successfully transitioned into a series of flexible, individual B2B meetings at the AHK premises; this practical approach ensured that the high-level dialogues translate into actual investments. Ultimately, this collaborative environment provided the perfect conclusion to the day, and it firmly reinforced the strong bilateral commitment to advancing industrial decarbonization across the region.
