In the 1910s, engineers proposed cutting a canal from the Mediterranean into Egypt's Qattara Depression to flood a below-sea-level desert basin and generate endless hydropower

Egypt has cancelled its century-old Qattara Depression canal project this year. This plan aimed to generate hydroelectric power by flooding a desert basin. Engineers proposed nuclear explosions to dig the canal, which was deemed too risky. The project was ultimately deemed not economically viable by officials. Cheaper solar and wind power now offer more practical energy solutions.