The AEA, with IAEA technical cooperation, approved construction of the pilot milling facility in 1990. The project objective was to produce uranium concentrate (yellowcake) from indigenously mined ore. The AEA apparently finished construction and startup of the facility, but experimentation failed due to a lack of extractant chemicals. On 13 August 1993, the IAEA completed its assistance with the project and noted the need for additional experimentation and testing. [1] By 1998, several projects at the facility were still on hold pending further experimentation. [2] At this time, the status of the pilot milling facility is unclear.

Key Sources:
[1] IAEA-TC Projects by Country: Egypt, "Potential for Yellowcake Production," Project Number EGY/3/010, www-tc.iaea.org.
[2] Judith Perera, "Nuclear Industry of Egypt," March 2003, p. 10, www.opensource.gov.