A replicable model of international cooperation that engaged 37 Egyptian companies through more than 400 hours of capacity building in Egypt and Italy.
Press release
Cairo, February 3, 2026 – The Egyptian Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources (MoPMR), the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and Proger S.p.A. announced the successful completion of the Energy Efficiency Training Program (EETP), an international capacity-building initiative aimed at strengthening technical and managerial skills for energy efficiency and the low-carbon transition in Egypt’s oil and gas sector. Proger, a leading Italian engineering and management company, delivered the program through its Egyptian subsidiary, training 193 professionals from the Ministry and 37 affiliated companies.
The training course delivered by Italian experts combined low-carbon transition modules covering energy management fundamentals and energy efficiency systems with analytical, managerial and financial skills. This enabled participants to identify, assess and implement concrete energy-saving solutions across operational facilities.
Funded by the EBRD through the EU Neighborhood Investment Platform, the program represents a strong model of international public-private cooperation, fully aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and Egypt’s national energy and climate strategies.
Mark Davis, Managing Director for the Southern and Eastern Mediterranean at the EBRD, commented:
“The EBRD’s investment in the green energy transition reflects a long-term strategic commitment to enabling systemic decarbonisation. By prioritising the development of technical, financial and managerial skills, we help unlock the full potential of the energy transition. We are proud to support the forward-looking vision of the Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources and to recognise Proger’s excellence in delivering complex initiatives in the energy sector.”
Advanced training, tangible results and measurable impact
The impact of the program goes well beyond capacity building. Participants identified multiple opportunities to improve operational efficiency across the sector. Four pilot projects were developed as case studies through in-depth technical and financial assessments, outlining concrete pathways to enhance performance and support the Ministry’s long-term strategy to strengthen energy management across the petroleum sector.
Program structure: Proger’s multidisciplinary approach
The EETP was structured into four operational phases over a 12-month period, delivering a total of 441 hours of classroom and on-the-job training. The program integrated technical expertise in energy efficiency with managerial, analytical and financial capabilities, ranging from financing mechanisms to the soft skills required to manage complex energy projects. Italian and international experts produced 30 specialised technical manuals and 50 training handouts, delivered nine hands-on workshops based on real case studies, and organised 12 site visits to operational facilities.
The program was structured into four phases:
- Task 1 – Theoretical training in Cairo and Alexandria on energy efficiency fundamentals, ISO 50001 energy management systems and optimisation techniques. This phase included practical exercises and tailored energy audit reports developed at three major sites, including refineries and gas processing plants.
- Task 2 – Internal audit training, during which Proger developed three ISO 50001:2018 Energy Management Systems in collaboration with three Egyptian companies operating in the sector.
- Task 3 – Senior management training delivered by Proger’s specialist partner Profinstance Advisory & Training Inc., focusing on financing mechanisms, financial modelling and data analytics to structure financially viable energy efficiency projects.
- Task 4 – A 10-day study tour in Italy, during which the top ten participants visited ENI’s Sannazzaro refinery and the Porto Marghera biorefinery, two global benchmarks in energy management and the transition to sustainable fuels, fostering a strong and lasting transfer of know-how between Italy and Egypt.
Mauro Della Giovampaola, Director of International Business Operations at Proger, stated:
“We are proud to have contributed our expertise in the energy sector to this transformative project. I would like to thank the EBRD and the Egyptian government for their trust and collaboration, which were essential to the program’s success. We hope this initiative can continue with increasingly targeted and effective pathways, building on the constructive feedback received. The excellent results achieved open promising prospects for the development of similar initiatives in other international contexts, further strengthening Proger’s role as a strategic partner for leading institutions.”
