English 
Spanish 
3 min read
0 comments
Egypt announces megaproject that promises to completely change Africa. Project receives billions of dollars in investment to use green hydrogen, the fuel of the future.
Egypt has been building a new megaproject for its administrative capital on the outskirts of Cairo for eight years now, in an ambitious, sustainable and expensive project. To give you an idea, the estimated cost of the project in Africa, which will be fueled by green hydrogen, is US$58 billion, equivalent to around R$327 billion, and there is no forecast for when the works will be completed.
Understand how the megaproject in Africa will work with fuel of the future
The pearl of the megaproject in Africa is a technological skyscraper that aims to be the first building of its kind to receive the certification of “zero carbon” in the world. The Forbes International Tower, which will have 42 floors and be almost 240 meters high, was designed to produce clean energy, such as green hydrogen, and reduce carbon emissions in its operations.
Your energy supply is planned to happen in the following proportion: 25% from photovoltaic energy and 75% from green hydrogen, also known as the fuel of the future, whose extraction does not emit carbon dioxide.
- Billion-dollar merger! Two retail giants join forces with R$50 million on the table to challenge and overthrow Atacadão's dominance in the Brazilian market!
- Shortage of qualified professionals may impact the creation of new jobs in the Industry, according to SENAI
- A mega fertilizer factory could be built in Macaé, Rio de Janeiro, with an estimated investment of R$5 BILLION!
- Brazilian agribusiness earns R$24 BILLION and starts operations in Catalão: Its processing capacity is an impressive 70 tons per hour and promises to generate even more jobs in the region!
The megaproject in Africa will have spaces biophilic, that is, that incorporate nature, and solar panels. To control the internal temperature, the tower will use natural ventilation techniques. Tanks will collect rainwater for uses that do not require drinking water, and efficient sanitary fixtures will reduce the demand for water.
In place of traditional alternatives, specific machines, called “chillers”, which use air cooling, will be used as a form of water cooling. In addition to the renewable energy supply generated by solar panels and the fuel of the future, its structure will be built with low embodied carbon materials, which have a minimized carbon footprint considering their manufacture, use and disposal.
Who is behind the megaproject in Africa?
The architecture office Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill is responsible for the design of the Forbes International Tower building, which will be fueled by green hydrogen.
The studio has other projects in its portfolio that follow the same philosophy of luxury and sustainability, such as the Central Park Tower, in New York, and the Jeddah Tower, under construction in Saudi Arabia.
The plan to move the capital was first announced in 2015 and construction on the megaproject in Africa began two years later. Dubbed the New Administrative Capital, the city does not yet have an official name, but will cover an area of approximately 700 square kilometers and will be just 45 kilometers from Cairo.
The first satellite images released by NASA The works were still timid in 2017. Now, however, it is possible to see much more. The new capital of Egypt will have a huge space for pedestrians and cyclists, with lakes and some of Egypt's native flora. In total, it will be 10 kilometers long, larger than New York's Central Park in the USA.
Understand why Egypt plans to change its capital
The city will also be home to several government buildings, the most notable being the new Defense Ministry center nicknamed “the Octagon.”
Cairo was replaced as the capital of Egypt following pressure from the population itself. In 1950, the city had just under 2,5 million inhabitants. Now, the city has around 22,6 million.
This population explosion has created major problems and the authorities themselves admit that the city's infrastructure cannot support so many people. The result is huge traffic jams in the African country. The new capital will be able to house just over 6 million people and should relieve some of the pressure on the historic city of Cairo.
