Sisi reaffirms importance of nuclear power program

CAIRO - 23 January 2024: Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi on Wednesday reaffirmed the importance of the country's nuclear power program, saying it is a strategic decision that will help ensure Egypt's energy security and meet its growing demand for electricity.

"The current global energy crisis underscores the importance of Egypt's nuclear power program," el-Sisi said in a speech delivered via videoconference at the start of construction of the fourth nuclear unit at the El Dabaa nuclear power plant. "Nuclear power will provide Egypt with a safe, affordable, and long-term source of energy, helping us reduce our reliance on fossil fuels and avoid price volatility."

El-Sisi said that adding nuclear power to Egypt's energy mix is essential to meet the country's growing electricity needs, which are driven by its economic and social development plans. He also said that nuclear power will help Egypt increase its reliance on renewable energy, which is critical to achieving environmental sustainability and combatting climate change.

Sisi stressed that the crisis in global energy supplies witnessed by our world confirms the importance of the strategic decision taken by the Egyptian state to revive the Egyptian peaceful nuclear program for the production of electric energy, as it contributes to providing safe, cheap and long-term energy supplies, reducing dependence on fossil fuels and avoiding fluctuations in their prices.

At the end of his speech, President Al-Sisi thanked President "Putin" for joining this event and expressed sincere thanks and appreciation to the employees of both the company "Atom stroy export", the Russian general contractor of the project and the"nuclear power plants Authority", which oversees the implementation of this giant national project, hoping for continued success in the next stages of the project.

The El Dabaa nuclear power plant is a Russian-built project that is expected to generate up to 4,800 megawatts of electricity when completed in 2029. The first two units are expected to be operational by 2028.