A training workshop on Renewable Energy and Energy efficiency: “Green Hydrogen: The Future of Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency” was organized by COMSATS, from the platform of its initiative COMSATS Centre for Climate and Sustainability (CCCS). The workshop was held in collaboration with the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO); Egyptian National Commission to UNESCO – ICESCO – ALESCO; Regional Center for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (RCREEE); and COMSATS Centre of Excellence in Egypt, National Research Centre (NRC), under the auspices of the Egyptian Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research. Held from 10th to 12th July 2023, the workshop was hosted by NRC, Cairo, Egypt.

The inaugural session was jointly chaired by Prof. Dr. Mohamed Samir Hamza, Head of the Cultural Affairs and Missions Sector – Supervisor of the Egyptian National Commission; Dr. Foued El Ayni, Expert – Science and Technology Sector, ICESCO, Morocco; Dr. Kamel Al-Khateeb, Professor, National Research Centre; Ambassador Dr. Mohammad Nafees Zakaria, Executive Director COMSATS (online); Dr. Omar Farouk, Assistant President of the Academy of Scientific Research and Technology, Egypt; Dr. Jauad El Kharraz, Executive Director, Regional Center for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (RCREEE); Eng. Ehab Ismail, Vice President of New and Renewable Energy Authority, Egypt; Prof. Dr. Ibrahim Helal, Faculty of Engineering, Ain Shams University, Egypt; Prof. Dr. Mona Hagras, Supreme Council of Universities, Egypt. The speakers emphasised the importance of building and expanding institutional capacity of entities in utilizing green hydrogen across diverse sectors.

Speaking on the occasion, Ambassador Dr. Mohammad Nafees Zakaria, Executive Director COMSATS), remarked that a shift in use of fossil fuels to renewable and other clean energy technologies is gaining pace with rapid development of bioenergy, wind and solar energies, geothermal, electric vehicles, and a variety of other technologies. For Global economic recovery, increased demand for energy hence diversification and innovations towards developing efficient energy sources seem inevitable.

The Workshop was attended by more than 50 participants from different departments and institutions of Egypt ranging from the Ministries and national R&D institutions of Energy and industry, and Universities’ engineering and climate technology faculties. The Workshop was organized with the objectives, inter alia, to: provide an overview of renewable energy and energy efficiency concepts and their importance in addressing climate change; develop an understanding among the participants about the various applications of green hydrogen in energy production and storage, transportation, and industrial processes; and to discuss the economic and policy frameworks needed to promote the adoption of green hydrogen.

The relevant experts discussed various aspects of the event-theme including Renewable energy& Green Hydrogen principle and production; Decentralized On-Grid PV Systems; Sizing, Challenges, and Best Practices Applied in Egypt; Challenges for Green Hydrogen Production, Storage, and Distribution; Green Hydrogen and Fuel Cells Applications; prospect of green hydrogen and affordable integration in primary energy mix: The fuel of the future from the past; Green hydrogen production using non precious metal electro-catalyst in alkaline medium; Nanomaterials for water splitting: a greener approach to generate hydrogen; and Organic and Inorganic Hybrid Materials for Renewable production of Hydrogen. The 12 speakers of the three-day Workshop belonged to Ain Shams University; New and Renewable Energy Authority; RCREEE, National Research Centre, Egypt; Dawood University of Engineering & Technology (DUET), Pakistan; National University of Sciences & Technology (NUST), Pakistan; and University of Malaya, Malaysia.

The workshop provided an opportunity to the researchers and engineers to gain insight of current and future trends and opportunities for green hydrogen from various case studies and projects across the hydrogen value chain including production, distribution, storage. The workshop programme also included site visit to Zafarana, a 544.82MW onshore wind power project located in Suez, Egypt.