The Arab Republic of Egypt
Positions of the International Atomic Energy Agency
I.Enhancing Safety and Security Standards of Nuclear Power Facilities
The Arab Republic of Egypt recognizes the threat of improperly secured nuclear power facilities. In the 1950s, Egypt created a nuclear program by setting up the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC), which became the Atomic Energy Establishment (AEE), and eventually, the Atomic Energy Authority (AEA). The Second Article of the AEE Presidential Decree No. 288 for 1957 focused on taking proper security measures to protect against the danger of nuclear radiation. Egypt participated in the IAEA International Conference on Nuclear Safety held in Vienna in July 2013, focusing on nuclear security and safety while preserving the rights of Member States to develop nuclear energy for peaceful purposes. During the conference, the IAEA Security Plan 2014-2017 was proposed. The plan was built off GOV/2009/54, and considered new and modified priorities for Member States. During the same year, Egyptian ambassador MootazAhmadein Khalil addressed the Director General of the IAEA, joining France and Russia, among other Member States, in supporting A/RES/68/10 (2013). The resolution rests on the three main pillars of the IAEA: nuclear technology, nuclear safety and security, and verification. Egypt prioritized the second pillar as a response to the 2011 Fukushima accident in Japan. Following the accident, the rate of expansion of nuclear power reduced drastically. The report emphasized "ageing management" for nuclear power plants and research reactors, which remain a prominent issue today.
Egypt remains dedicated to guaranteeing safety and security of nuclear power facilities. Egypt attended the Washington 2016 Summit to enhance national, regional and international cooperation framework in nuclear security. We have committed thoughts, engagements and initiatives to remind Member States of their responsibilities in consolidating nuclear security. We fully support the three previous summits through the principles that helped lay the foundation for safety and security of nuclear power facilities. Egypt believes in an inclusive framework that provides application of nuclear security procedures on all nuclear materials without exception, particularly those used for the making of nuclear weapons. We support voluntary implementation of nuclear security procedures that comply with the respective Member States’ internal legislation and international responsibility. Furthermore, we argue that safety of the international community is at risk when certain nuclear programs and facilities are able to remain outside the supervision of the comprehensive safeguard system without effective international monitoring, verification, or access. We propose a nuclear weapons free zone in the Middle East to alleviate the issue at hand. The nuclear weapons free zone would monitor nuclear programs to enhance the safety and security standards of nuclear power facilities.
Egypt acknowledges the pre-existing issues with safety and security mentioned above butsuggests the implementation of the 3 C’s Policy to address provisions for human error and equipment failure. Our proposed system contains multiple safety features to compensate for human errors. The 3 C’s are Control of radioactivity; Conservation of core cooling; and Constriction of barriers preventing the release of radiation. The primary step is to control the neutron flux. Decreasing the neutron flux would result in a decrease of radioactivity. Generally, neutron flux is reduced through neutron absorbing control rods. Currently, nuclear power plants include all control rods, essentially halting the nuclear reaction in the most rapid matter. The secondary step consists of conservation of core cooling of nuclear power plants. The primary coolant used today is water, however reactors that are unable to utilize water, opt for sodium salts. The final step entails the constriction of barriers preventing the release of radiation. This preemptive measure ensures that a potential leak will be not be emitted into the environment. With constant exposures to high doses of radiation, Egypt recommends the indirect use of equipment through a remote at the core of the reactor, physical shielding, limiting the time individual workers are exposed to significant levels of radiation, and monitoring those individual doses and the work environment. Egypt is committed to enhancing the safety and security standards to alleviate both natural and human threats of nuclear power facilities.
II. Developing Solutions and Promoting Cooperation for the Disposal of Nuclear Waste
The Arab Republic of Egypt is dedicated to developing a solution to the issue of nuclear waste disposal. The Egypt’s position on nuclear waste disposal is aligned with the IAEA’s declaration of avoiding the imposition of “undue burdens on future generations”. Egypt is committed to cooperating with other states that share it’s goal of developing solutions to ensure the safe disposal of nuclear waste.
The Arab Republic of Egypt has established the Egyptian Atomic Energy Authority (EAEA) as it’s main agency on nuclear research. The National Center for Nuclear Safety and Radiation Control works under the supervision of the EAEA to ensure the safety of our nuclear program.The EAEA also established the Hot Laboratory and Waste Management Centerin 1980. The Hot Laboratory and Waste Management Center is tasked with managing the treatment and disposal of Egypt’s radioactive material. Egypt has the institutions in place to handle the management of nuclear waste and hopes to pursue greater use of nuclear energy to meet the sustainable development goals and supplement the high percentage of energy stemming from gas and oil.
Egypt proposes that the IAEA conducts further research on the management and disposal of nuclear waste and emphasizes the importance of cooperation in global efforts to set a standard for the safe disposal of radioactive material. Egypt does not advocate for the use of nuclear energy in states that lack the facilities and institutions to ensure a safe method for disposing of nuclear waste.Egypt firmly believes that the future of nuclear waste management should be focused on geological disposal methods. However, more research must be conducted before these sites can be established. Taking into consideration how costly this type of research can be, especially for countries without the means to carry out such a study, the Egypt would like to reiterate its call for global cooperation so that information can be shared more effectively. Egypt also proposes that more work is done to better understand the method of borehole disposal for managing high-level waste. Deep borehole disposal may very well be an environmentally viable option for disposing of high-level waste. It is for this reason that Egyptproposes the IAEA start pursuing the methods laid out instead of continuing on a path that could be potentially harmful to the environment and the citizens of the Egypt. Egypt also believes in strengthening global cooperation by starting an initiative to establish international repositories.