Mobility has always been a precursor to technology and economic prosperity. The faster people, resources, or information moved, the more the interconnected communities prospered. The invention of the wheel, the creation of the stagecoach system, the invention of the steam train, the telegraph system—all these inventions have helped humans develop to the point of technological advancement and comfort of life that we enjoy today.
The next step seems to be to use electric vehicles instead of gasoline or diesel engines. Although public transportation has advanced by leaps and bounds in the West, there are still some countries that are not improving their infrastructure. This is the case in Egypt, which is betting on hydrogen for transportation. Egypt is a strategic location in global infrastructure—thanks to the Suez Canal—so it has a vision for the coming years in which it will refine its transportation and energy use.
Egypt, a developing country—and transport system
Along with the reform of its tourism conglomerate centered on the pyramids of Giza, Egypt has set out to comprehensively modernize its public transport and all national logistics. Its most ambitious project is the new high-speed electric network, a multimillion-dollar investment for the Arab country. Once completed, this high-speed network will become the sixth largest in the world, with more than 2,000 km of track.
The most strategic extension of this project will be the green line, which would connect the Red Sea (Ain Sokhna) with the Mediterranean (Alexandria/Marsa Matrouh) with a 660 km span. The nicknames have not been given in vain—“Suez Canal on Rails,” to be precise—as it would be the most important connection for freight and passenger transport. Siemens Velaro high-speed trains will run on these tracks, a fully electric technology capable of reaching 250 km/h.
Then there is the East Nile Monorail, which will connect Cairo with the New Administrative Capital (NAC). It will be one of the longest driverless monorails in the world, with 100 km between its two lines. Line four is essential for speeding up traffic in densely populated areas and cultural sites that attract large numbers of tourists, such as the Grand Egyptian Museum.
Finally, Egypt is going to create a system of exclusive lanes on the main roads for buses, with which it will attempt to speed up urban traffic and make the transport of tourists, who are one of the main drivers of the country’s economy, more fluid. From now on, tourists who come to enjoy ancient Egypt will not have to deal with miles of traffic jams on the road.
Hydrogen-powered trains
Egypt has signed an agreement with South Korean company Hyundai Rotem to supply it with hydrogen trams. In addition to being an electric vehicle manufacturer, Hyundai Rotem also specializes in railway systems. It is actively promoting its Hydrogen Electric Tram System to serve the New Administrative Capital. They will run on green hydrogen, which will be sustainable and functional from day one. In fact, Hyundai Rotem has already supplied Egypt with more than 800 subway cars for the cities of Cairo and Alexandria.
However, there is also an agreement between Japan and Egypt. The alliance involves the Japanese company ITOCHU and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government. They are very interested in the Suez Canal economic zone, one of the most important logistics locations globally. The goal is to transform Egypt from a transit site to a center for the production and supply of clean fuels.
This would transform the ports into state-of-the-art fuel supply points, where they would supply cargo ships with ammonia and green hydrogen. At a time when the decarbonization of the international shipping industry is underway, this alternative offers hope for a cleaner future in which economic growth does not stagnate.