Liquid, solid waste collection service to be launched for 1st time in Suez Canal

20 / 03 / 2023

By Marwa Nassar - -

The Suez Canal Authority (SCA) signed a deal with Greece’s Antipollution Company – a member of V Group which is a rigorous Group of Companies concentrated in the fields of Waste Management and Environmental Technologies – to launch liquid and solid waste collection service for first time in the Suez Canal.

This goes in line with SCA’s efforts to turn green as the Suez Canal will be declared “Green Canal” by 2030, SCA Chairman Osama Rabie.

Meanwhile, SCA head Rabie said the Suez Canal is moving ahead to implement an ambitious strategy of diversifying income resources and optimize the assets owned by the Suez Canal and its affiliated companies through engaging in new activities and expanding partnerships that pave the way for experience exchange and technology transfer.

SCA is seeking to offer eco-friendly logistic services, including collecting solid and liquid waste from ships transiting the waterway in addition to establishing a waste recycling plant and a factory for generating electricity and producing green hydrogen.

Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouli on Monday witnessed the signing ceremony of the deal which aims at establishing a company titled “Egypt Antipollution” as a shareholding company to offer services for waste and liquid waste management.

Egyptian Minister of Petroleum Tarek El Molla, Minister of Environment Yassmin Fouda, Chairman of SCA Admiral Osama Rabie and Head of Suez Canal Economic Zone (SCZone) Walid Gamal el Din and Greek Consul General in Cairo Despoina Chasirtzoglou attended the signing ceremony.

The new company will offer new logistic services to ships transiting the Suez Canal, thus magnifying the benefit of the waterway and integrating with state efforts to boost national economy, lure foreign investments and provide job opportunities for youths.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Madbouli said the liquid and solid waste collection and their recycling would bolster the state’s efforts to localize the eco-friendly industries and activities and achieve the sustainable development goals, adding that this is part of the state’s strategy for promoting development of the blue economy concept.

For his Part, Group V Chairman Vyron Vasileiadis said this partnership marks a new a era of cooperation between Greece and Egypt in the field of environment sustainability, highlighting the importance of capitalizing in on this investment for the Suez Canal to realize carbon neutrality, get rid of waste safely and continue to play its pioneering role in the maritime industry.

Meanwhile, Eric Adam , an Egyptian – Greek businessman, hailed the “constructive” partnership between Egypt and Greece, especially as it creates an added value by launching the solid and liquid waste collection service in the Suez Canal for the first time.