Egypt has agreed with Italy’s Eni SpA to conduct a feasibility study for a potential biogas production in the North African nation.
The Bioenergy Association for Sustainable Development of Egypt, affiliated with the Ministry of Environment, sealed the deal that could see the creation of units for biogas production using animal and agricultural waste.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, Manal Awad, Egypt’s Minister of Local Development, said the agreement is a culmination of the efforts of the Bio Energy Foundation to expand partnerships with the private sector and international institutions to deploy biogas technology in the provinces.
“It is clear that the project contributes to converting waste into clean energy and high-quality organic fertilizer, and provides job opportunities in the Egyptian countryside, supporting the implementation of the commitments of Egypt at the Paris climate agreement.”
Meanwhile, Eni in a statement said the joint study will explore the building of a biodigestion plant capable of treating agricultural and animal waste, particularly from livestock farming.
“The biogas produced by biodigestion can generate renewable electricity and heat, while also producing higher-value organic fertilizers for use in agriculture, further contributing to the circular economy,” the statement reads in part.
The electricity from the biogas production plant will provide an alternate source of electricity as Egypt looks to get more fuel oil to address power shortages.
Eni’s biofuels’ ventures in Africa
Eni has set goals to grow its biorefining capacity from the current 1.65m t/yr to over 3m t/yr by 2028 and more than 5m t/yr by 2030, with the potential to produce up to 2m t/yr of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) by 2030.
Earlier this year the Italian energy giant commissioned its first vegetable oil extraction plant in the Republic of the Congo, unlocking new feedstock capacity for its biorefineries.
The facility in Loudima, in the southern part of the Central African country, can produce up to 30,000 t/yr of vegetable oil.
Back in June, the company had also signed an agreement with Cote d’Ivoire’s Agriculture Ministry to explore the potential of cultivating biofuel crops in the West African country.