U.S. Embassy Cairo USTDA Partners with Egypt on Health, Safety, and Environmental Protocols

– Today, the U.S. Trade and Development Agency signed a feasibility study grant to support the Alexandria Petroleum Company (APC) in its efforts to improve the health, safety, and environmental protocols of its El Max refinery in Alexandria, Egypt. The grant will fund a series of studies to identify and address the facility’s priority safety and fire protection needs. APC is a subsidiary of the Egyptian General Petroleum Corporation, under the Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources.

“Egypt’s commitment to bolstering the safety and health of its workers creates new opportunities for collaboration between organizations like USTDA and APC,” said Enoh T. Ebong, USTDA’s Director. “This grant will help create opportunities for U.S. companies to supply the technologies and services that Egypt’s refineries will require.”

The USTDA-funded feasibility study will advance APC’s priority to upgrade and expand its safety programs and equipment, augment forecasting and emergency response capabilities, and update protocols and trainings. By adopting these cutting-edge technologies and best practices, the El Max refinery, founded in 1962, will increase safety for workers and limit greenhouse gas emissions and environmental damage in the event of a fire or other emergency. The feasibility study will also serve as a model as Egypt considers similar upgrades for its other refineries.

“Today’s agreement between APC and USTDA is another example accentuating the continuous successful strategic partnership between Egypt and the United States in the energy domain,” said Egyptian Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, H.E. Tarek El Molla. “Our common objectives for furthering safety and sustainability have paved the way for this important signing today. Health, Safety, and Environment have been key elements of the sector’s modernization since 2016. Today, they remain strong among the sector’s core principals, along with upgrading our refineries to enhance safety and operational excellence.”

APC Chairman Alaa Amin said, “Partnering with USTDA on this feasibility study marks an important step forward for APC. This study demonstrates our unwavering commitment to excellence in process safety, ensuring the highest safety standards for our operations in line with the Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources strategy.”

U.S. Ambassador to Egypt Herro Mustafa Garg, said: “Today’s grant signing between APC and USTDA illustrates the breadth of the partnership between Egypt and the United States, a partnership that enhances productivity and prosperity for both our peoples. This collaboration will improve health and safety for Egyptian workers through state-of-the art U.S. technologies and will reduce potential environmental impacts in Egypt’s petroleum sector.”