UNDP Representative, Industry Minister Discuss Cooperation

On Sunday, Egypt’s Minister of Industry Khaled Hashem met with UNDP Resident Representative of in Egypt Chitose Noguchi ways to discuss enhance joint cooperation in the fields of green transition, renewable energy, and improving the efficiency of the industrial sector.

The meeting discussed a number of projects implemented by the UNDP in Egypt in the areas of energy, green transition, digital transformation, governance, and financing for medium and small enterprises, in addition to supporting the integration of local producers into domestic and global supply chains. These efforts contribute to achieving sustainable development goals, creating job opportunities for youth, and empowering women.

The talks also reviewed the Egypt-PV solar systems project, implemented by the Industrial Modernization Center (IMC) in partnership with the UNDP and funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF). The project aims to support the expansion of small-scale grid-connected solar power stations within industrial, commercial, tourism, residential, and public buildings.

The project has resulted in the establishment of more than 240 rooftop solar power stations, including support for more than 20 factories operating in key industrial sectors.

Hashem affirmed the importance of cooperation between the Ministry of Industry and the UNDP in preparing industrial and energy maps for industrial zones, contributing to easing pressure on the national power grid and increasing reliance on clean energy sources, particularly solar power, in addition to supporting energy conservation and efficiency efforts within industrial operations.

The minister noted that Egypt’s Industrial Development Strategy 2030 targets the development of seven priority industries and seeks to raise Egyptian industrial exports to $100 billion by 2030.

He added that the strategy includes several initiatives supporting the industrial sector, most notably the “Industry Solar Initiative,” which aims to establish solar power stations for factories with a total capacity of 1,000 megawatts within two years, enhancing the industrial sector’s resilience against global energy crises.

In turn, Noguchi hailed the Ministry of Industry’s initiative to establish solar power stations with a capacity of 1,000 megawatts inside factories, reaffirming the UNDP’s commitment to supporting the expansion of solar energy use in Egypt’s industrial sector.

Furthermore, she said the program is looking forward to building on the achievements made through the Solar Energy Transformation Initiative (SETI), which aims to develop a financing mechanism to attract private sector investments for installing solar power stations with a total capacity of up to 200 megawatts, supporting Egypt’s transition toward clean energy and accelerating the adoption of small and medium-scale solar solutions.