New Policy Brief: Green Hydrogen Cooperation Between Egypt And Europe

We are happy to share that one of our recent publications is now available as a comprehensive policy brief. “Local Perspectives on Green Hydrogen Cooperation between the EU and Egypt: The case of the Suez Canal Economic Zone” analyses local acceptance and attitudes towards renewable energy development and green hydrogen production. 

The policy brief was written by Gerrit Stöckigt, Hawal Shamon, Stefan Vögele and Marc Ringel and published by the Laboratoire interdisciplinaire d’évaluation des politiques publiques (LIEPP) of Sciences Po.

Abstract

Green hydrogen is set to become a cornerstone of Europe’s decarbonization strategy, creating a strong demand for imports from third countries. Egypt has the potential to emerge as a key production hub. While technical and economic aspects of green hydrogen cooperation have been explored widely, less attention has been given to local acceptance. This Policy Brief analyzes the social dimension of EUEgypt cooperation on green hydrogen, focusing on local perspectives in the Suez Canal Economic Zone. Survey data from Port Said and Suez show high acceptance of hydrogen development, with both export and domestic-use scenarios viewed positively. When asked to choose, however, respondents expressed a stronger preference for domestic use. Support for exports, then, is more conditional, and tied especially to local economic benefit. Policy recommendations point to the importance of institutionalizing reciprocity, anchoring cooperation in visible local benefits, and balancing export ambition with domestic need.