EGYPT: MINISTER OF ELECTRICITY ON NUCLEAR, CUTTING

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 CAIRO 006748 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR NEA/ELA, ISN/NESS NSC FOR R. WATERS LONDON FOR TSOU PARIS FOR WALLER E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/06/2016 TAGS: ENRG PGOV TRGY KNNP IAEA EG SUBJECT: EGYPT: MINISTER OF ELECTRICITY ON NUCLEAR, CUTTING SUBSIDIES REF: CAIRO 06038 Classified by Ambassador Francis J. Ricciardone for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). -------------- Summary -------------- ¶1. (SBU) Minister of Electricity and Energy (MOE) Hassan Younes reported on November 2 that the GOE has not yet finally decided to pursue nuclear power development, but may do so following the presentation of an economic analysis to a PM-chaired Supreme Council on Energy meeting on November 7. The GOE will send two officials to the December 4-6 IAEA nuclear power workshop. In the face of soaring demand, Younes is moving aggressively toward free market price reforms as the only effective means to drive down consumption. He has cut power to the most high-visibility and influential governorate departments who are delinquent in paying their bills. He reported that infrastructure limits Egypt to providing more than 17 MW of emergency power to Gaza, but the seven member countries of the regional electricity grid will take up the issue of adding the PA at their next meeting. End summary. -------------- Decision Not Finalized -------------- ¶2. (SBU) Minister Younes told the Ambassador November 2 that the GOE has not yet finally decided to pursue civilian nuclear power development, but is instead completing its economic analysis of the feasibility of nuclear versus other alternative means of power generation. The minister said the study would likely be presented on November 7 to the cabinet-level interagency Supreme Council on Energy, chaired by the Prime Minister, which would then debate the GOE's course of action. (Press reports assert that the minister, who will present the study to the Council, will advocate for the nuclear development option, he has not yet set the ministry's policy. He did not signal his position to us on November 2. The Ambassador will meet PM Nazif on November 13 and the DCM will meet with Egyptian Atomic Energy Authority head Dr. Aly Islam on November 14 to discuss developments.) ¶3. (SBU) Should the GOE decide to pursue the nuclear option, Younes said the scale of the project, including the size of the proposed plants, will require thorough review. Previously, Egypt planned a 1,000 MW plant located on the Mediterranean coast outside Alexandria, but Younes said grid issues and consumption forecasts would need to be reexamined in order to assess how many and what size plants would be needed. Regarding reactor design, Younes noted how he has been impressed with the containment technology and safeguards built into American plants, which far exceeded those found in the older Russian models. -------------- December IAEA Workshop -------------- ¶4. (SBU) Minister Younes said that the GOE will send two officials from the Nuclear Power Plants Authority to the December 4-6 IAEA "Issues for the Introduction of Nuclear Power" workshop in Vienna. (We understand from another source that Nuclear Power Plants Authority Chief Dr. Yassin Ibrahim will lead the delegation.) -------------- Driving Market Price Reforms for Conservation -------------- ¶5. (C) The Ambassador queried the minister on potential conservation measures in the face of Egypt's economic and CAIRO 00006748 002 OF 003 population growth. Electricity consumption growth in Egypt last year surged to 10.2 percent, outstripping GOE predictions of 7 percent. Acknowledging that subsidized energy dissuades conservation, Minister Younes stated that he "has given up" on the public awareness campaigns encouraging people to switch off the lights. Instead, Younes said he believes that market pricing will drive conservation, and that his ministry aims to increase prices to fully recover costs of production, transmission, and distribution within four years. ¶6. (SBU) The Minister sketched practical steps taken already taken toward that goal: the ministry, through the local distribution companies, has embarked on a series of "quiet" price increases to consumers. While the price hikes will not affect those, generally among the poor, who use less than five kilowatt hours (KWH) per month, other domestic consumers will see increases of between 5 and 8 percent on their November bills. Commercial users will see increases of approximately 7 percent. While these increases have largely escaped press attention, recent reports quoted the president of the electrical distribution holding company as indicating revenues would need to be increased to meet rising demand brought on by increased consumption. The present daily load in Egypt is 18,000 MW; installed capacity is 21,000 MW. Current, and conservative, MOE predictions estimate that by 2027, Egypt will consume 54,000 MW daily, thereby requiring an installed capacity of 63,000 MW. -------------- Pay your Bills, or Else -------------- ¶7. (SBU) Minister Younes is also in the center of a battle between the MOE and other government departments over their delinquent payment of electricity bills. According to press reports he has the PM's support to cut off electricity to government departments who do not pay their bills. Younes confirmed that after repeated warnings, the power distribution company had indeed cut off some Cairo Governorate buildings, successfully taking on even the powerful Governor of Cairo. The cutoffs prompted a revelation among some governorate department heads as to the true price of their consumption. MOE has also reportedly sent warnings even to the Ministry of Interior (LE 3.85 million, or USD 675,000 in arrears),Ministry of Higher Education (LE 500,000, or USD 87,000),and Cairo University (LE 6 million, or USD 1.05 million). Some reports indicate this tactic may be catching on: some local water authorities have issued similar warnings to delinquent customers. -------------- Gaza Electricity Update -------------- ¶8. (C) Younes confirmed the Gaza power transmission picture, on which MOE First Undersecretary Hamed Emmara provided us greater detail: Egypt is providing 15 Megawatts of emergency electricity supply to Gaza through medium tension wires exiting Egypt at the Rafah terminal. Gaza needs 75 MW, but a lack of infrastructure, i.e. high-tension wires, prevents Egypt from transmitting more. Egypt has provided the PA with new transformers to increase their transmission capabilities, and MOE hopes that the Palestinians will have the Gaza power plant up and running at a higher capacity soon. Separately, MFA contacts have told us that the seven participant countries in the regional electrical grid will take up the issue of PA membership at their next meeting (date TBD). -------------- --- Embassy Interagency Nuclear Energy Working Group -------------- --- ¶9. (SBU) Post has formed a Nuclear Energy Development Working Group (NEDWG) to coordinate reporting, analysis, and CAIRO 00006748 003 OF 003 commercial advocacy related to Egypt's nuclear power ambitions. The working group, chaired by Econ Counselor Catherine Hill-Herndon, includes representatives from Econ-Political, ESTH, DAO, ORA and FCS. Post looks forward to further liaison with State, DOE, and other Washington agencies on this issue. NEDWG coordinator is Economic Officer Kevin Roland, 20-2-797-3952, rolandks2@state.gov, rolandks@state.sgov.gov. -------------- Comment -------------- ¶10. (C) Minister Younes downplayed the hoopla surrounding President Mubarak's statements at the NDP conference and disparaged the subsequent, overly enthusiastic media coverage. Eventual readouts of President Mubarak's trips to Russia and China should reveal what offers they may have put on the table. Separately, Younes' hard-ball tactics with governorates over unpaid bills evidence continued seriousness of purpose on the part of PM Nazif's cabinet regarding economic reforms. RICCIARDONE