CAIRO, Mar 21 (IPS) – Egypt’s economic system continues to face important challenges, however amidst these, the Dabaa Nuclear Energy Plant challenge emerges as a beacon of hope.
This bold collaboration with Russia signifies a possible game-changer, promising to invigorate the nation’s vitality panorama and produce about financial upliftment. Regardless of the worldwide sanctions imposed on Russia, the challenge marches ahead undeterred, promising stability, progress, and much-needed vitality safety for Egypt’s future.
Egypt’s economic system is at present navigating by way of a interval of serious challenges. The nation is grappling with a excessive inflation charge, which stood at 29.8% in January 2024. Financial progress has declined to 4.2% throughout FY23 (July 2022–June 2023) from 6.6% a yr earlier. Regardless of these hurdles, the Egyptian authorities have been endeavor a sequence of coverage changes and structural reforms. These measures, coupled with the anticipated restoration of actual GDP progress to 4.7% in FY 2024/2025, sign potential enhancements over the medium time period.
Dr. Sameh Noman, a professor of engineering and renewable vitality knowledgeable, defined that the challenge, which is 85% financed by Russia, marks a major development in Egypt’s vitality sector. Egypt, he added, bears the remaining value and the challenge is being applied in levels.
Noman identified that the settlement stipulates that no less than 20 p.c of the secondary parts of the station might be Egyptian merchandise, a proportion that will increase to roughly 70 p.c upon completion. He emphasised the significance of the partnership between Egypt and Russia in producing non-primary and important parts for the station, which represent 70 to 75% of the station’s whole parts. This collaboration, he famous, permits a gradual switch of know-how and experience to Egyptian industries.
In response to Noman, the fee of funds will begin after the operation of the station and the beginning of electrical energy manufacturing. He reassured that the challenge won’t be a burden on Egypt’s economic system, as this step was agreed upon in 2015, and Egypt will solely bear a really small a part of the associated fee through the development levels.
The Dabaa plant, as Noman described it to IPS, is a single station with 4 reactors, every producing 1.2 megawatts, that means that the overall output from the station is 4.8 megawatts. He underscored the benefit of the plant in that the price of producing the kilowatt may be very near the price of producing its counterpart from renewable vitality.
Nestled alongside the picturesque Mediterranean coast, the Dabaa plant includes 4 state-of-the-art pressurized water reactors, every boasting a capability of 1,200 megawatts. With a mixed capability of 4,800 megawatts, this bold initiative is poised to considerably bolster Egypt’s vitality grid, assembly the rising calls for of its inhabitants.
Noman stated emissions from the plant are near about 14 grams of carbon dioxide per kilowatt. When evaluating this with fuel energy stations, he famous that the latter produces 500 grams of carbon dioxide emissions per kilowatt, whereas wind energy produces 12 grams of carbon per kilowatt.
Noman assured that the worldwide sanctions imposed on Russia wouldn’t be an impediment to finishing the challenge, particularly since Russia is taken into account a serious participant in nuclear vitality manufacturing and the development and operation of stations. He acknowledged that a big a part of the challenge has already been applied, and we’re at present within the stage of pouring concrete for the fourth transformer.
Dr. Karim El-Adham, the previous head of the Nuclear Security Authority, highlighted that Egypt is the primary nation in Africa to construct a “VVER-1200” nuclear reactor, a mannequin identified for its nuclear security charges and electrical energy manufacturing. The Dabaa station, positioned in Matrouh Governorate on the Mediterranean Coastline, had undergone quite a few research over greater than thirty years, guaranteeing its compliance with all security situations and nuclear security requirements set by the Worldwide Atomic Vitality Company.
El-Adham emphasised the challenge’s financial feasibility and its function in fostering state progress and sustainability alongside renewable vitality sources. He additionally addressed the environmental influence of the challenge, revealing that the emissions from the plant are near about 14 grams of carbon dioxide per kilowatt, considerably decrease than fuel energy stations.
He reassured that the worldwide sanctions imposed on Russia wouldn’t be an impediment to finishing the challenge, particularly since Russia is the primary nation globally in nuclear vitality manufacturing and the development and operation of stations. A big a part of the challenge has already been applied, and we’re at present within the stage of pouring concrete for the fourth transformer.
El-Adham additionally famous that upon completion, the plant is estimated to inject over 35 billion kilowatt-hours of electrical energy yearly at a aggressive value whereas concurrently creating job alternatives for Egyptians. This, he believes, is a testomony to the potential of the Dabaa Nuclear Energy Plant challenge.
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© Inter Press Service (2024) — All Rights ReservedOriginal source: Inter Press Service
