Professor Yusri Abu Shadi, the former head of the nuclear engineering department at the University of Alexandria, has been an advocate of energy security and is eager to see Egypt’s nuclear programme reinitiated.
By 2022, Egypt will need about 50 GW installed capacity of electricity. Currently, the country has a capacity of ~28 GW. According to the Egyptian nuclear programme, the first nuclear power plant will produce 1,000 MW and will be operational in 10 years’ time. The next 4 units will each provide 1,000 MW, so the installed nuclear capacity will be 4.8 to 5 GW, just 10% of the expected demand.
By 2017 the work will begin on the first four Russian nuclear power plants in the Dabaa region on the northern coast of Egypt with a total capacity of 4,8 GW, starting with the first production in 2023 and the last in 2026. Professor Shadi raised a problem about the Dabaa region, which is the place that was selected to build the first nuclear reactor, and blamed the Nuclear Power Plants Authority that did not prepare adequate studies on possible alternative sites. Professor Shadi suggests the Authority should present studies on the possible alternative sites for building the reactors.
However, Professor Shadi acknowledged the design of the Egyptian Dabaa reactor follows the safety and security standards, which can withstand earthquakes from 8 to 9 Richter and can withstand Tsunamis, Hurricanes, large floods and external air ballistics.
The design of the control system does not allow viruses or piracy and thus the efficiency of the station is the claimed to be one the highest in the world, reviewing the economic advantages of the project. The Egyptian can produce electricity between 60 and 80 years, and generate a revenue of 280 billion US Dollars- Its cost reaches 45.4 billion USD, the total gain of the project could exceed 200 billion dollars according to Rosatom and the Egyptian authorities.
Note: Yusri Abu Shadi is member of the Egyptian Council for Foreign Affairs, and former head of the Nuclear Engineering Department at the University of Alexandria. He worked for 25 years as a chief inspector in the International Atomic Energy Agency and head of the Department of Safeguards at the Agency until 2009.
