# Optimization of Electricity Generation Technologies to Reduce Carbon Dioxide Emissions in Egypt
## 4 Conclusions  
In conclusion, two computer codes, namely, MESSAGE and SIMPACTS, were employed in this study. The MESSAGE code was used to model the optimization of the energy-supply systems in Egypt to determine the best energy-supply technology to meet the future energy demand based on various energy technologies. The power plants investigated were fossil fuel, hydro, and nuclear power plants. The SIMPACTS computer code was used to estimate the environmental effects and damage costs associated with the normal operation of electricity-generation technologies. The electricity-generation technologies considered in SIMPACTS were fossil fuel, hydro, and nuclear power plants. Furthermore, constraints were considered, such as the limitation of carbon dioxide (CO\({}_{2}\)) emission into the atmosphere and the bound electricity generated by natural gas that can result in reduced electricity-generation capacity of fossil fuel. Therefore, every electricity-generation technology was associated to its investment costs, including operating and maintenance costs as well as fixed and variable costs. Therefore, a particular country must consider its choice with respect to its economic status to select what is the best technology for trade-off. However, the results from MESSAGE indicated that nuclear and gas power-plant technologies will be long-term sources of electricity supply in Egypt. Currently, wind and solar technologies provide the least contribution to the Egypt energy mix; whereas hydropower and oil slightly contribute to Egypt's electricity capacity. Gas technology is the most predominant source of electricity in the country. In the long-term, gas and nuclear technologies will be the optimum electricity-generation technologies that contribute to Egypt's energy mix with gas technology remaining dominant. The sensitivity analysis shows that constraint on CO\({}_{2}\) emission should be imposed in fossil power plants and the electricity generated by natural gas should be bound in order to increase the contribution of renewable energy in the energy field. The SIMPACTS computer code results showed that nuclear power plants incurred the lowest total damage costs, and fossil fuel power plants yielded the highest total damage costs. Results of scenario 3 and scenario 4 indicated that nuclear power plants are an environmentally beneficial electricity-generation technology when operating normally, but fossil fuel technologies have a large environmental impact. Based on these findings, nuclear power is determined to be the optimum choice of electricity-generation technology for  
Figure 13: Total damage cost of electric power-plant generation. meeting Egypt's future electricity demand while reducing CO\({}_{2}\) emissions. It provides dependable electricity at a cheap operating cost. It has a long lifetime and a consistent base load power. However, we must consider the disadvantages of nuclear energy, just as we discussed the benefits of nuclear energy. Nuclear disasters are the most serious threats to nuclear technology. Many radioactive elements are released into the environment during a nuclear accident. These radioactive elements have long-term consequences for individuals and the environment. Another downside of nuclear energy is the generation of radioactive waste. Nuclear waste is a significant concern for the nuclear industry because there is no technique for the final disposal of spent fuel. Scenario five, on the other hand, suggests that wind and solar can replace fossil fuels. They provide clean energy and are free from the drawbacks of nuclear technology. They are, however, unreliable sources of energy. Conclusively, it is difficult to find acceptable technologies that can meet future demand while reducing CO\({}_{2}\) emissions. There may be some issues that must be balanced against the economic benefits. Such issues include concerns regarding affordability, energy security, supply reliability, or the environment.