An International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) expert mission has commended Egypt for establishing a comprehensive regulatory framework for nuclear and radiation safety, following the agency’s first-ever 12-day Integrated Regulatory Review Service (IRRS) mission to the country.
The mission, conducted at the request of the Egyptian government, was hosted by the Egyptian Nuclear and Radiological Regulatory Authority and the Ministry of Health’s Executive Office for Radiation Protection. The team assessed Egypt’s regulatory system against IAEA safety standards.
The experts identified several areas of good performance, including the availability of qualified regulatory staff, an effective emergency preparedness framework and the country’s use of lessons learned from international experience.
“The country has a comprehensive regulatory infrastructure for nuclear and radiation safety,” mission leader Zia Hussein Shah, who is the chairman of Pakistan’s Nuclear Regulatory Authority, said.
He added that as Egypt advances its nuclear power programme, it will be important for the regulator to continue strengthening oversight during the construction, commissioning and operation of the El Dabaa Nuclear Power Plant.
The mission concluded on July 9 – the same day that Egypt marked another milestone in the El Dabaa project with the installation of the reactor pressure vessel for the plant’s second nuclear unit.
