In order to develop, finance, and run a cluster combining green hydrogen production with solar and wind power generation, Paris-based Voltalia, and its Egyptian partner TAQA Arabia, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Government of Egypt.

The initial project will include a new green hydrogen production facility with a capacity of 15,000 tonnes per year, in a greenfield site close to Ain Sokhna port in the Suez Canal Economic Zone (SCZONE), through a 100-megawatt (MW) electrolyzer supplied with 283 MW of renewable power, according to a press release from the Euronext Paris listed company on Wednesday.

The project will be upgraded to produce 150,000 tonnes of green hydrogen annually with an electrolyzer capacity of up to 1 gigawatt (GW), powered by 2.7 GW of combined solar and wind energy.

The Egyptian government will supply the land needed by the cluster, according to the announcement.

The New and Renewable Energy Authority (NREA), The Sovereign Fund of Egypt (TSFE), SCZONE, TAQA Arabia, Voltalia, and the Egyptian Electricity Transmission Company were the signatories of the MOU (EETC).

According to the release, Voltalia and TAQA Arabia will be the cluster’s original shareholders. TSFE and EETC will have the option to become minority shareholders.

Since 2017, Voltalia has been operating in Egypt after developing, constructing, and managing its Râ Solar plant within the Benban cluster.