Morocco's atomic studies center cost over $77 million so far

Morocco's center of atomic studies in Maamora (near Rabat) has cost 700 million DH (over US$ 77 million) so far, said minister of education, higher education, executives training and scientific reseach, Habib El Malki.

Speaking Tuesday at the question time session of the Chamber of Advisers (parliament upper chamber), the minister said the delay in the works is due to sensitivity of the sector, which is subject to several international conventions.

In 1996, Morocco signed two conventions with French and US groups to prepare the site infrastructure and the reactor but the project was interrupted in May 2001 when the cooperation agreement on peaceful use of atomic energy signed between the kingdom and the United States in 1981 expired.

The national center of atomic energy, sciences and techniques (CNESTEN) had to negotiate a new deal with the US group and resumed on the works in January 2004, he said, adding that the Maamora center facility will be ready in 2006.

Concerning the center staff, Malki said 220 persons, including two thirds of doctors, engineers and technicians, already work in Maamora's finished labs.