Petroleum and Mineral Resources Minister Karim Badawi met on Monday Deng Chaojing, Director General of China National Chemical Engineering Group (CNCEC), to discuss accelerating strategic projects including the soda ash plant in New Alamein and the Red Sea National Petrochemicals Complex in the Suez Canal Economic Zone.
Badawi said the initiatives reflect Egypt’s commitment to localising new industries, reducing imports and boosting exports. He stressed the importance of speeding up the soda ash project to substitute imports and raise local content, while the Red Sea complex is set to become one of the largest petrochemical projects, enhancing Egypt’s role as a regional hub for petroleum and petrochemical trade.
The minister highlighted the growing partnership with China, noting that energy cooperation is a key pillar of bilateral relations and enjoys strong political support.
CNCEC’s director general affirmed the group’s commitment to Egypt, describing it as one of its most strategic markets. He said CNCEC is engaged in several projects including soda ash, the Red Sea complex, metallurgical silicon and bioethanol, and pledged to adhere to the timeline while increasing reliance on local inputs. He also invited Badawi to visit the company’s headquarters in Beijing to explore future cooperation.
The meeting was attended by senior officials including Alaa El-Din Abdel Fattah, Chairman of the Egyptian Petrochemicals Holding Company (ECHEM), Rasha Ramadan, Vice Chairman for Financial and Economic Affairs, Mahmoud Nagi, Undersecretary for Safety, Environment, Energy Efficiency and Climate, and Mohamed El-Bagoury, Head of Legal Affairs.
