Mubarak orders construction of nuclear plant on Mediterranean coast.
By ASSOCIATED PRESSBushehr Reactor 311(photo credit: Associated Press)
CAIRO — Egypt's President Hosni Mubarak has instructed the government to start building the country's first nuclear power plant at a site on the Mediterranean coast, ending a year of controversy.Mubarak's decision puts an end to attempts by business tycoons with strong ties to the ruling family to build sea resorts on the el-Dabaa site. The whole coast is known for its attractive beaches.RELATED:Egypt's energy crisis stirs public unrest'Egypt may buy back gas from Israel'Egyptians protest power outages, block key highwayEgypt blames Israel for recent power outagesPresidential spokesman Suleiman Awwad said in a Wednesday statement that Mubarak reached the decision after discussions with members of the Supreme Council of Nuclear Energy.Mubarak first announced plans to launch a number of nuclear power plants in 2007. He pledged to work closely with the U.N. nuclear watchdog agency and said Egypt was not seeking to develop nuclear weapons.
