Cairo: a 43-floor Tower will be constructed using hydrogen as energy source

An innovative 240-meter tower is about to be built in Egypt using hydrogen as energy source. The skyscraper is part of the construction of the “New Administrative Capital”, which is located near Cairo. The construction of the $58 billion New Administrative Capital is a smart sustainable city started in 2016 and as of present, many smart buildings have been already completed.

The Forbes International Tower will be a 43-floor building where offices will be hosted and is created by Gordon Gill of Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture. They designed the Tower to be a sustainable landmark in the county, as the engineers are planning to power the building mainly by hydrogen. Specifically, they had designed the Tower to use hydrogen by 75% for its electrical needs while the rest 25% of its needs will be covered by solar panels placed on its facade. This innovative design will lead the building to zero-carbon footprint and thus, upon its completion, they will apply for a Zero Carbon Certificate from the International Living Future Institute.

The developer intends to power the 240-meter high tower with hydrogen, supplemented by solar panels, as shown at the top of this rendering of the design.(credits: cnn.com)

In addition, the architectures are planning to use materials with low-embodied carbon. Therefore, they will have low carbon emissions during the construction process, and they will release less carbon emissions during their lifecycle. In fact, they aim to reduce the carbon impact by 58%. Moreover, they are designing the structure to recycle and treat the water onsite to reduce the need for freshwater as Egypt is facing water scarcity.

The business and finance district is currently under construction. Developers hope it will become a center for African and Middle Eastern trade, with businesses from the wider region moving their global headquarters there. (credits: cnn.com)

This project will be the key for future construction since it uses hydrogen which is a clean and renewable energy source. However, it is not widely used in the construction field. If it is feasible, Magnom Properties alongside Schneider Electric and H2 Enterprises are exploring the use of liquid organic hydrogen carriers (LOHC) technology to power the Forbes International Tower. The LOHC technology allows the hydrogen to be stored and transferred in liquid form which will allow the hydrogen to be extracted and used to generate electricity through fuel cells. The only concern that is raised worldwide is whether hydrogen production can be expanded enough to substitute fossil fuels.