- The Green Hydrogen Organisation (GH2) and Nile University has launched the GH2 International Green Hydrogen Centre of Excellence “GH2 Cairo Centre” to provide global leadership and build the talent needed to deploy sustainable large scale green hydrogen projects particularly in developing and emerging economies.
Through decree, Egypt’s National Green Hydrogen Council approved the establishment of the GH2 Cairo Centre in February 2024.
The GH2 Cairo Centre is based at Nile University in Cairo and will focus on building capacity and providing technical assistance on green hydrogen within Egypt, across Africa and globally. Egypt is a natural location for the centre as the country aims to become a leading green hydrogen producer and exporter by 2030, leveraging over 30 framework agreements and multiple MOUs signed with international partners.
A key objective of the GH2 Cairo Centre is to accelerate the financing of large-scale renewable energy and green hydrogen projects, with initiatives to mobilise and derisk both public and private sector investments.
The Centre will facilitate regional collaboration through the Africa Green Hydrogen Alliance (AGHA) which brings together ten African governments with ambitious green hydrogen plans. The GH2 Cairo Centre will serve as the AGHA Secretariat, also promoting cooperation with key export markets including the European Union and Asia.
An initial activity taking place in August 2024 is the Green Hydrogen Policy Accelerator Training course jointly organised with the International Solar Alliance under its Green Hydrogen Innovation Centre platform, underscoring the GH2 Cairo Centre’s commitment to education and stakeholder engagement.
The Centre will leverage partnerships with civil society, academia, research institutions, and think tanks, as well as GH2 members and partners, to support its growth and mission.
As part of its workplan with an initial budget of USD 4 million, the GH2 Cairo Centre will recruit core staff, form an advisory group “the GH2 Cairo Centre Board”, and have an initial focus on strong standards and certification in the green hydrogen sector as well as a comprehensive green hydrogen financing programme.
Author: Bryan Groenendaal
