**Eng. Tarek El Molla, Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, Reviews Projects to Increase Diesel Production Capacity and Local Manufacturing Capabilities in Assiut**
Eng. Tarek El Molla, Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, inspected projects aimed at **increasing diesel production capacity** and enhancing **local manufacturing of petroleum project components** during his visit to Assiut Governorate, accompanied by leaders from the petroleum sector, as part of the ongoing monitoring of petroleum projects in the region.
The minister’s tour began with the inauguration and inspection of the **new central manufacturing workshops** of **Petrojet**, built on an area of **20,000 m²**.
El Molla explained that the project was established to **increase manufacturing capacities** to raise the proportion of **local content** in new petroleum projects in the Assiut region. The workshops specialize in producing vessels, tanks, and towers—key components for the **new diesel and gasoline production complex** under construction. This also includes projects to enhance the efficiency of the **Assiut Petroleum Refinery**, which positively impacts the reduction of imports paid in foreign currency, accelerates project completion, and helps localize this strategic industry in Egypt with the expertise of young Egyptian petroleum professionals.
The minister and his delegation toured the workshops, reviewing the manufacturing progress for ongoing projects. Eng. Walid Lotfy, Chairman of Petrojet, presented the main features of the project, which is among the latest completed initiatives to **expand local manufacturing capacity**. The workshops include **three specialized production units** with an annual capacity of approximately **1,800 tons**, equipped with the latest machinery and equipment.
The workshops will meet the needs of new projects in the Assiut petroleum region, including the fabrication of **four LPG tanks weighing 800 tons**, **17 storage tanks weighing 9,000 tons** for the water treatment unit of the ANOPC diesel and high-value petroleum products complex under construction, and **137 pieces of equipment weighing 3,600 tons** for production units at the Assiut Petroleum Refinery.
The minister also inaugurated the **residential camp for Petrojet employees**, established to support human resources—considered a key pillar in project execution—by providing essential facilities and enabling 24-hour work shifts on site.
### Monitoring the Largest Diesel Production Complex in Upper Egypt
During the visit, El Molla inspected the **construction progress of the diesel and petroleum products production complex** of ANOPC, the largest project currently being implemented in Upper Egypt, to assess on-the-ground progress and accelerate completion.
He emphasized that **monitoring project progress** is vital for achieving significant economic returns as part of the Ministry’s plan to develop, expand, and enhance the efficiency of Egyptian petroleum refineries, **increase diesel and gasoline production**, and reduce reliance on imports.
He highlighted that **manufacturing components locally** contributes to raising the local content ratio in the project to **over 50%**, up from the current 40–45%.
The new complex aims to produce **approximately 2.5 million tons annually** of petroleum products, primarily **1.6 million tons of diesel** meeting European specifications, reducing imports and securing diesel supply for Upper Egypt instead of transporting it from northern Egypt. The complex will also produce **LPG and naphtha** for gasoline production as key outputs.
During the tour, the minister and his delegation received a presentation from Eng. Mohamed Badr, Chairman of ANOPC, on the progress of the **four main units** of the complex, as well as complementary units, including industrial wastewater treatment facilities. The project is being implemented by **ENPPI and Petrojet** in cooperation with the Italian contractor **Technip**, with an **investment cost of approximately $2.9 billion**.
The presentation also outlined the planned work for the coming period. In this regard, El Molla directed **full coordination between the executing companies** and ensuring that all requirements are met to complete the planned work according to the project timeline, while fully adhering to **health, safety, and environmental regulations**.
Finally, the minister inaugurated the **administrative building** for ANOPC employees.
