In 2018, Methanex Egypt saw an opportunity through its partnership with ECHEM to enhance PSM within the Petrochemical sector. Methanex, in partnership with ECHEM, hosted two conferences in 2018 and 2019 that brought a total of 800 representatives from across Egyptian Petrochemical, and Oil & Gas sector companies where world renowned speakers ran PSM focused workshops. This allowed for establishing a common understanding of PSM within the industry catering to the huge appetite within the sector to establish and implement PSM systems.
As a result of the rich dialogue started through the two PSM events, a committee from all holding companies of the Egyptian Oil & Gas and Petrochemicals sector and Methanex Egypt was formed to create a shared vision and enable the embedding of PSM within all companies operating in Egypt.
The MoU between the Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources and Methanex Egypt was signed in February 2020. This MoU enabled the creation of a three-year roadmap aimed at institutionalizing PSM within the industry, and the Egyptian PSM Steering Committee comprised of representatives of all the holding companies of the sector, EGPC, and Methanex.
The PSM Steering Committee established a Technical Sub-Committee, selecting members from the Ministry of Petroleum’s Capacity Building Program
In February 2021, the official PSM website (www.PSMEgypt.com) was launched, providing sector-wide updates, resources, and a platform for engagement.
Following its creation, the PSM Technical Sub-Committee worked on the development of 24 world class PSM standards and guidelines, creating a technical foundation for PSM for the Egyptian oil, gas and petrochemical sectors and in accordance with international industry best practices and standards. These documents were approved and issued by EGPC for all sector companies to follow, enabling the safe design and operation of the industry’s assets.
In February 2023, Methanex Egypt published “Towards Safer Processes in the Oil, Gas, and Petrochemical Industries – An Overview of Egyptian PSM Standards and Guidelines” book, encapsulating the PSM journey and providing an overview of Egypt’s full set of process safety standards and guidelines. During EGYPES 2023, Methanex Egypt won the award for the highly commended project within the “Best Safety Project of the Year” category at EGYPS Global Sustainability in Energy Awards Ceremony in recognition of its efforts in leading the development of a Process Safety Management (PSM) framework.
Building on this momentum, a MoU was signed between the Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources and Methanex Egypt in February 2025 to continue the strong partnership started in 2018. As an effective milestone towards the implementation of PSM best practices, the American University in Cairo (AUC) and Methanex Egypt signed a three-way protocol with the Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources in April 2025 to develop an educational PSM Diploma degree .
