Egypt may see first nuclear reactor in six years

Egypt may see its first nuclear reactor within six years, according to the deputy director of the Egyptian Atomic Energy Authority, Mostafa al-Esseiry

 

Work on Egypt's anticipated nuclear undertaking, which is set to be located in Dabaa, Marsa Matrouh, west of Cairo, will start soon," Esseiry said in a statement on Sunday"

 

Esseiry said that nuclear fuel is much cheaper than natural gas, and that the nuclear program is now a national project that will provide ample energy for Egyptians

 

He also downplayed the possible environmental dangers of the project, arguing that safety authorties in Russia kept residents around the Chernobyl reactor area under check for 27 years following the famous catastrophe, and no one was hurt.

 

In 1986, the Egyptian reactor tender was postponed due to the Chernobyl disaster, when a nuclear meltdown spread radioactive materials across Europe.

 

Any public talk about the nuclear project had stopped for about 20 years, but in 2006, Gamal Mubarak, son of deposed President Hosni Mubarak, announced that the Dabaa nuclear program would be re-launched.

 

In 2010, Hosni Mubarak decided to offer the project to international bidders. The 2011 revolution, however, put everything on hold and in 2012, Dabaa residents attacked the site and several pieces of equipment were looted.