Investment Minister Ashraf Salman and Environment Minister Khaled Fahmy will open Monday the first conference on the safe use of coal as an energy alternative in Egypt.

A number of officials, experts and Egyptian and international companies working in the transport, energy and cement industries will participate in the conference.

Companies from Japan, Italy, Spain and the UAE will attend the two-day event to probe challenges facing the Egyptian government and the region in providing energy and resolving the shortage of electricity, executive director of the conference's organizing company Mohamed Abu Ahmed told MENA.

The event will also discuss how Egypt can benefit from the energy crisis and turn it into investment opportunities regarding the use of coal, which requires new ports and specialized transport companies, Abu Ahmed said.

The conference will address the safe use of coal as an energy alternative to resolve the energy crisis encountering the cement industry and the possibility of using coal in generating electricity, he said.