An announcement from the General Authority of Investment and free zones (GAFI) published on Saturday, February 7, 2026 announces that the company Draschem for specialized chemical products has set up a factory for the production of cyanide of sodium, mainly used for the extraction of gold, to Alexandria in Egypt.

The firm said that the CEO of font-family: "Bookman Old Style”, serif">Gafi, Mohamed el-Gawsaky, had met a delegation from DrasChem Specialty Chemicals, a free zone company private, to discuss the measures necessary for the establishment of the factory of Sodium cyanide production by the company at the Sidi petrochemical complex Kerir in Alexandria. production is scheduled for 2028, after the completion of the first phase of construction, with initial investors estimated at 200 million dollars. This phase aims at the production and export of 50,000 tonnes of sodium cyanide per year, an essential input for gold extraction.

The second phase will aim to either double the capacity of production, or to manufacture additional cyanide derivatives of sodium, while a third phase will focus on the production of components of sodium-ion batteries.

According to the CEO of Gafi, this project is part of country development priorities, in particular those related to the inauguration of exports, the transfer and localization of advanced technologies, to strengthening local production and creating sustainable jobs.

For its part, Mso-bidi-language:ar-sa"> Lower El-Shemmy, Vice President of Strategic Partnerships at Petrochemical Holding GmbH, Austrian company and main shareholder of DrasChem, said that the initiative will contribute to positioning Egypt as a regional hub for gold and gas extraction technologies manufacture of sodium-ion batteries, a more sustainable alternative and more profitable to lithium ion batteries.