Egypt’s Minister of Industry, Khaled Hashem, held talks with Chitose Noguchi, Resident Representative of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Egypt, and her accompanying delegation to discuss expanding cooperation in green transformation, renewable energy, and industrial capacity building.
The discussions focused on UNDP projects implemented in Egypt across energy, green transition, digital transformation, governance, SME financing, and integrating local producers into domestic and global supply chains. These initiatives support sustainable development goals, job creation, and women’s economic empowerment.
The meeting also reviewed the Egypt-PV solar systems project, implemented by the Industrial Modernisation Centre in partnership with UNDP and funded by the Global Environment Facility.
The initiative aims to support the deployment of small-scale, grid-connected solar photovoltaic systems across industrial, commercial, tourism, residential, and public facilities.
To date, the project has enabled the installation of more than 240 small solar power stations on rooftops, including support for over 20 factories operating in key industrial sectors.
Hashem highlighted the importance of cooperation between the Ministry of Industry and UNDP in preparing Egypt’s industrial map and energy maps for industrial zones. The effort is intended to reduce pressure on the national electricity grid, increase reliance on renewable energy sources such as solar power, and improve industrial energy efficiency.
The minister noted that the ministry recently launched the Egyptian Industry Advancement Strategy 2030, which targets the development of seven priority industries and aims to raise Egypt’s industrial exports to $100bn by 2030.
He added that the strategy includes several initiatives serving the industrial sector, most notably the Industry Solar Initiative, which seeks to establish solar power plants for factories with a combined capacity of 1,000 megawatts over the next two years. The programme is intended to strengthen the resilience of Egyptian industry against global energy shocks.
Hashem said cooperation with UNDP also covers building local capabilities in solar energy implementation and facilitating the transfer of advanced technologies, including artificial intelligence and automation, into industrial processes.
The partnership further aims to improve industrial product quality and help Egyptian manufacturers comply with the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), enhancing the competitiveness of Egyptian exports in European Union markets.
For her part, Noguchi welcomed the ministry’s initiative to establish 1,000 megawatts of distributed solar photovoltaic systems in factories, reaffirming UNDP’s commitment to supporting wider adoption of solar energy within Egypt’s industrial sector.
She added that UNDP is seeking to build on this progress through the Solar Energy Transformation Initiative (SETI), which aims to develop a financing mechanism capable of attracting private-sector investment in solar projects with a total capacity of up to 200 megawatts.
According to Noguchi, the initiative aligns with UNDP’s broader efforts to accelerate the adoption of small- and medium-scale solar solutions and support Egypt’s transition towards clean energy.
