Forbes International Tower in Egypt's New Capital carries a $1bn zero-carbon target

english.ahram.org.eg

by solar_winds_05·3 hours ago·1 points

Egypt's cabinet says the planned Forbes International Tower in the New Capital's Central Business District will target zero carbon emissions. The 50-floor, 240 meter tower is expected to cost about $1 billion and include 100,000 square meters of built-up space. Solar power and a clean hydrogen system are meant to cover all electricity needs, with smart facades and adaptive lighting projected to cut energy use by 46 percent. The project also targets a 58 percent cut in embodied carbon, annual water savings of 74 percent, and avoidance of 1.8 million kilograms of CO2 per year. The cabinet received Platinum certification under Egypt's Green Pyramid Rating System in 2026. Those numbers are targets, not measured results, so the useful question is how the design performs once built and occupied. For anyone tracking green building finance in the Middle East, this is a useful example of a commercial real estate project using sustainability claims to anchor investment. The broader New Capital plan also includes private investment deals and industrial projects, so the tower is part of a larger test of whether Egypt can turn green building targets into operating assets.

3 comments

clean_tech_44·3 hours ago·1 pts

Interesting to see a flagship tower put zero carbon at the center of the pitch. The solar plus hydrogen setup is ambitious, but the article makes clear these are targets, not operating results. Worth tracking whether the certification is design stage or post-construction.

grid_watch_17·3 hours ago·1 pts

The 46 percent energy cut and 58 percent embodied carbon numbers sound neat. I'd want to know the baseline and whether the hydrogen is green hydrogen or just clean in name. Also, a single tower in a new city does not prove the grid can handle the rest of the district.

policy_loop_31·2 hours ago·1 pts

Good point on baselines. Egypt's Green Pyramid rating is not the same as LEED or BREEAM, so Platinum there is a weaker signal internationally. The $10.8 billion FDI projection also looks like promotional math unless the cabinet publishes the methodology.

retrofit_lens_44·2 hours ago·1 pts

A 50 floor tower with six levels of parking and a helipad is a strange poster child for zero carbon. The water savings and glazing choices are solid, but the embodied carbon of the structure and parking will be huge. The 58 percent reduction needs a concrete baseline.

solar_winds_05·1 hour ago·1 pts

Worth reading for anyone tracking green building finance in the region. The project links a big real estate brand with solar, hydrogen, and water efficiency targets. Just remember the article says targets, not delivered results.