Roundup: Egypt decides to pursue nuclear energy

By Lin Jianyang

CAIRO, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- Egypt on Sunday decided to seek non- conventional alternatives to generate electricity, including nuclear energy, the official MENA news agency reported.

The newly-founded Egyptian Higher Council of Energy, headed by Prime Minister Ahmed Nazef, made the decision at its first meeting.

The council held that nuclear energy, which has proved the safest and cheapest for electricity generation, was a pressing need since conventional energy was insufficient to meet the high demands of energy consumption.

According to cabinet spokesman Magdi Radi, the council has decided to form a mini-cabinet of five ministers to lay down swift measures to take action on the nuclear option and determine all related technical and financial aspects.

The group is to meet right after the Ramadan, the holy fasting month which started on Sunday, to lay down its vision of the matter.

The Sunday council meeting was attended by all key cabinet ministers, including ministers of defense, finance, petroleum, electricity, economic development, foreign affairs, investment, trade and transportation.

The meeting and its decision came four days after President Hosni Mubarak said that Egypt will continue its scientific research to develop peaceful nuclear technology regardless of its high cost.

At the closing session of a three-day fourth annual conference of the ruling National Democratic Party on Thursday evening, Mubarak said that developing nuclear energy program was for the future of the country and the Egyptians.

"We must augment our benefit from the sources of new and renewable energy including the peaceful use of nuclear energy," said Mubarak, whose country started very limited nuclear technological research in 1957.

Also on Sunday, Minster of Electricity and Energy Hassan Younes said Egypt would have an operational nuclear power plant in 10 years after a project was to be launched, according to Egypt's top- selling daily al-Ahram.

Egypt could build a 1,000-MG nuclear power plant at al-Dabaa, on the Mediterranean coast, at a cost of between 1.5 and two billion U.S. dollars, Younes said, adding the government would seek foreign financial help for the planning project.

Meanwhile, MENA quoted former Egyptian electricity minister Ali el-Saidi as saying that the International Atomic Energy Agency ( IAEA) was ready to assist Egypt to develop a peaceful nuclear program and train cadres for the purpose.

Saidi, a member of the permanent IAEA consultative committee and also a member of the Egyptian Council for Foreign Affairs, hailed the government's move to reconsider generating electricity via nuclear energy.

The Egyptian Council for Foreign Affairs has decided to form a commission of experts in the field of nuclear energy to prepare a detailed report on means of supporting the move to develop peaceful nuclear technology, said Saidi.

Source: Xinhua