Egypt’s fertilizer industry benefits from strong manufacturing capabilities, stable energy supplies and abundant natural resources, while the country is also working to increase domestic sugar production and expand exports, Industry Minister Khaled Hashem said during a visit to Suez.
During his current visit to Suez Governorate, Hashem inspected a fertilizer production plant and a sugar refinery in the Suez Canal Economic Zone, accompanied by Suez Governor Hany Rashad and senior officials from the Ministry of Industry and the Suez Canal Economic Zone.
The minister began his tour with a visit to the Egyptian Basic Industries Company (EFC) plant in Ain Sokhna, one of Egypt’s major nitrogen fertilizer production facilities and a key production asset of Fertiglobe, described as the world’s largest seaborne exporter of nitrogen fertilizers and ammonia.
The facility covers 592,000 square metres and includes ammonia and urea production lines, water treatment units, storage facilities, control rooms, and shipping and packaging facilities.
During the visit, Hashem reviewed the advanced technologies used across the plant’s production and operational processes, as well as its energy-efficiency, industrial safety and sustainability practices.
The company is also involved in projects related to green hydrogen, green ammonia and sustainable urea production in Ain Sokhna. Its site has hosted a pilot green hydrogen project and the production and export of what the company described as the world’s first internationally certified shipment of green ammonia.
Hashem said Egypt has established a strong position in the global fertilizer production and export market, supported by its industrial base, stable energy supplies and availability of key natural resources such as phosphate.
He added that demand for Egyptian fertilizers in European markets has increased following the shutdown of some European fertilizer plants amid global energy crises in recent years.
The minister noted that the Egyptian fertilizer industry maintained production during recent global and regional crises due to the continued availability of the energy supplies required for manufacturing.
This stability, he said, enabled local fertilizer plants to meet domestic demand while maintaining and expanding export activity.
Sugar production and exports
Hashem subsequently inspected the Egyptian United Sugar Company, part of Savola Foods Group, in the Suez Canal Economic Zone.
The facility occupies 120,000 square metres, with total investments of approximately $160m and capital of $250m.
The company has an annual production capacity of between 800,000 and 900,000 tonnes of refined white sugar, while its exports exceeded 500,000 tonnes of refined white sugar last year.
During the visit, the minister toured the company’s sugar production and packaging lines and quality-control laboratories.
Company officials briefed Hashem on its operations since entering the Egyptian market in 2008, with the facility established to help bridge the gap between domestic sugar production and consumption while supporting exports to Middle Eastern and African markets.
The company is classified as one of Africa’s largest raw sugar refineries, with annual production capacity exceeding 800,000 tonnes, and exports premium refined white sugar to more than 50 countries worldwide.
Hashem stressed that sugar is a strategic commodity for Egypt due to its direct impact on food security and market stability.
He concluded that the Ministry of Industry is working to increase domestic production and improve the efficiency of the sugar manufacturing system in order to support self-sufficiency and expand exports to international markets.
