A report on Dabaa as the site for Egypt’s first nuclear plant has been submitted to the presidential office for scrutiny before final approval, according to official sources at the Ministry of Electricity. The nuclear plant is expected to be operational in 2022 and will be used to produce electric energy.
There are signs that the political leadership strongly supports the choice of Dabaa, the sources said on condition of anonymity.
"So far, we’ve spent LE1 billion to prepare the site. Now it’s ready for the establishment of the plant. We expect a decision that approves Dabaa as the site for the Egyptian nuclear project," said the sources, who hinted that the ministry has received confirmation that Dabaa will be approved as the site. "We will celebrate soon," they said.
The Nuclear Power Plants Authority sent a box of reports on Dabaa to the Nuclear Safety Authority a few days ago for analysis and the required permits granted, the sources added.
The international consultant hired to provide guidance on the choice of site supported the report of the international French office which identified el-Dabaa for the nuclear project back in the early 1980s, the sources said.
In a related development, Magdi Radi, spokesperson for the Cabinet of Ministers, said, "The natural gas and oil we currently have satisfies our needs, especially after 45 new oil findings this year."
In a phone call to el-Hayah el-Youm TV show, Radi said that the government isn’t opposed to the choice of Dabaa for the nuclear project and that consultants are studying all possible sites, including Dabaa.
Radi went on to say that there is "no going back" on the nuclear project, whether in Dabaa or elsewhere. He also said that there are plans to build five or six nuclear plants, which, according to Radi, cannot all be constructed in Dabaa.
Translated from the Arabic Edition.
