World's first hydrogen building - 7th October 2024

A building which uses hydrogen could be the first of its kind. It will be built in Cairo's administrative capital.

The 43-floor office building is a project for media company Forbes, with developers Magnom. The building costs will be around $1 billion. 75 percent of the energy will come from clean hydrogen. 25 percent will come from solar energy.

The Forbes International Tower is designed by Adrian Smith and Gordon Gill, two famous architects. The building will be close to the Iconic Tower – Africa's tallest building.

Magnom doesn't simply want to use clean power. It's promised to build with modern materials. Over their life, these materials will only have a small effect on climate. They could reduce the carbon of the build by 58 percent. Water will also be recycled there, which will reduce the need. This is important in a desert area.

Due to all these choices, Magnom hopes they can create a tower which is 'net-negative'. That means it would remove more carbon than it uses. But time will tell. Many people are unsure because hydrogen isn't usually used in such large projects. Fossil fuels are usually the answer.

Magnom's working on the plans now. It's hoping the hydrogen tower will be completed by 2030.