Egypt aims to expand renewable energy for aquaculture

Egypt’s Lakes and Fish Resources Protection and Development Authority has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with international aquatic food systems organisation WorldFish to expand the use of renewable energy technologies in Egyptian fish farms.

The agreement, formalised last month, forms part of the Center for Renewable Energy in Aquaculture (CeREA) project, established in 2023, which aims to introduce solar and other clean-energy solutions to aquaculture operations. The initiative aims to reduce production costs, cut carbon emissions and improve the efficiency of fish value chains, in line with Egypt’s 2030 sustainability and climate goals, WorldFish said.

The project is being implemented with financial and technical support from the Norwegian Embassy in Cairo, as part of wider cooperation between Egypt and Norway on innovation in aquaculture and climate-smart food production.

Major General Hussein Farhat, Executive Director of the Lakes and Fish Resources Protection and Development Authority, said the MoA "is not merely a technical agreement but a concrete translation of Egypt’s national directives to integrate environmental solutions into productive sectors."

“This directly contributes to lowering production costs per unit for Egyptian farmers, thereby enhancing the competitiveness of fish products in local and international markets,” he added, saying the Egyptian authority would make its farms and resources available to support the rollout of the technology and help ensure its benefits reach stakeholders across the sector.

WorldFish Egypt Director Dr Ahmed Nasrallah said the CeREA project was designed to transform fish farms from traditional energy consumers into climate-smart production systems.

“With CeREA innovations, we aim to represent a global model to empower producers and farmers within fish value chains with affordable and productive tools to improve their livelihoods and increase the sector’s resilience,” he added.

Nasrallah also indicated WorldFish will work with the Authority to transfer knowledge and localize solar-energy technologies for use in fish farming, and that the project will also look at solutions to reduce post-harvest waste and support small-scale producers and rural women working in fish value chains.

The two parties said the implementation would begin immediately, with joint technical committees to be formed to oversee system installation and staff training.

Egypt, the leading aquaculture producer in Africa, has hosted the headquarters of WorldFish since 1997. In December 2025, the country renewed its hosting agreement for another 25 years.

Aquaculture accounts for 80% of fish production in Egypt, primarily from private farms, with tilapia the most widely-farmed species. The sector employs approximately 300,000 people, and generates 1.6 million tons of fish annually, valued at USD 3.5 billion, according to the latest WorldFish figures.

Earlier this month, Egypt's National Food Safety Authority announced the country has received approval to export aquaculture products to the European Union for the first time, after completing technical requirements linked to food safety and veterinary controls. The approval covers finfish and related products as well as crustaceans, opening access for Africa's largest aquaculture producer to one of the world’s largest seafood import markets.