10 countries cooperate with Egypt on peaceful nuclear energy use

Mohamed Farag
3 Min Read

According to sources at the Ministry of Electricity,  protocols of cooperation have been signed with ten countries for the establishment of a peaceful nuclear reactor.

Cooperation protocols and memoranda of understanding have been signed with France, Germany, the United States of America, South Korea, the United Kingdom, India, the Czech Republic, Hungary, China, and Russia to support cooperation in the fields of training and capacity-building and utilisation of expertise in nuclear reactor management.

The protocols also includes utilising experiences of countries in the fields of security, nuclear safety, and nuclear control, in addition to the possibility of providing advisory services to the Egyptian Atomic Energy Authority (EAEA).

According to the sources, the EAEA will begin studies at El Nagila, which is located in Matrouh governorate, to review the possibility of establishing a nuclear reactor in the area. The EAEA requires about three years to conduct studies and measurements to make sure the site is suitable for the construction of nuclear plants.

The Nagila site is capable of having four nuclear power reactors with capacities ranging from 1,200 to 1,600 MW each.

The sources pointed out that the government is currently focusing on starting the construction of the Dabaa Nuclear Power Plant, parallel to the start of studies on the location of Nagila, which preliminary studies confirmed the suitability of for the establishment of a nuclear plant.

The sources stressed that the government has not yet decided to contract with any state or company to build the potential plant. “We need more time to study the construction of a nuclear plant in Nagila,” the sources said.

A French company that implements nuclear plants offered to set up the Dabaa station before Egypt contracted with Russia’s Rosatom, but was informed of the possibility of cooperation on another project.

China National Petroleum Corporation also offered to build a 1,000 MW nuclear power plant in El Dabaa area with financial benefits, incentives, and payment facilities for up to 30 years, offering the best technology and highest safety and security standards.

The sources said that Egypt will not close its doors to companies operating in the field of nuclear energy, and in the event of an official offer, it will be studied and reviewed technically and financially before a decision.

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