Proger, Drexel Advance $278 Mn Bioethanol Project in Egypt

Mohamed Farid, Minister of Investment and Foreign Trade, met with representatives of Italian companies Proger and Drexel to review a planned $278 million project to produce second-generation bioethanol from sugarcane waste in Egypt.

The project would use bagasse, a byproduct of sugarcane processing, as feedstock for bioethanol production, with a large share of output targeted for export to European markets.

Farid said the ministry is working to ease procedures for investors and improve services that help attract new investments and support expansions by existing companies. He added that priority goes to investments that increase Egypt’s production, export capacity, and support economic growth and employment.

The meeting also covered the project’s technical and commercial progress, including tests conducted on bagasse samples and studies related to bioethanol production. Furthermore, the companies are updating the feasibility study before completing the final assessment and determining the project’s investment and financing structure.

Moreover, Farid called for completing the remaining studies and procedures quickly and setting clear implementation steps to move the project from the study phase into execution.

The meeting followed discussions between representatives of the two companies and Sherif Farouk, Minister of Supply and Internal Trade, on the project’s technical and implementation plans and proposed partnership structure.

Founded in Italy in 1951, Proger S.p.A. provides engineering, management and EPC services across the energy, infrastructure, and oil and gas sectors. Its work includes front-end engineering design (FEED), project supervision and environmental technology, alongside projects in green hydrogen, waste management and renewable biofuels.

Also, Drexel Energy & Oilfield Services provides energy engineering, technical representation and project management services, with a regional presence in Cairo. Its activities include oilfield services, equipment supply, procurement and EPC contract execution for downstream petroleum and chemical processing projects.