Egypt, Russia to sign nuclear power plant contracts in April

CAIRO - 3 April 2017: The contracts for Egypt's first nuclear power plant with Russia are expected to be signed this month for work to begin on the project’s first phase, an official in the Ministry of Electricity told Youm7 Monday.

The contracts include provisions on technical support, operation, maintenance, and fuel depots. “The second contract states that Russia should supply Egypt with nuclear fuel for 60 years,” the official added.

“The final contract will be for the maintenance and operation of the first phase of the nuclear plant, with 4800 MW capacity,” he added.

At the same time, a delegation from the Egyptian parliament’s Energy Committee is heading to Russia Monday to visit Rosatom State Nuclear Energy Corporation, which is responsible for the plant’s construction in Egypt, the chairman of the committee, Al Sayed Al-Hegazy, told Youm7.

“The aim of the visit is to check the projects implemented by the company in Russia and to ensure Dabaa residents that the project is not dangerous and will not cause any harm,” Hegazy added.

The delegation is scheduled to meet the executives of the Russian company and visit the project’s sites.

On Nov. 19, the Egyptian Ministry of Electricity and Russia’s state-owned Rosatom signed a contract for the construction of the plant.

The plant’s construction is to be accomplished in two phases. Russia will build four reactors and the other four reactors will be offered for an international tender. Russia will fund 80 percent of the plant’s construction.

Egyptian President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi announced at the signing ceremony that Egypt will repay Russia a loan over 35 years from the revenues of the electricity that will be produced by the plant.

In 1981, Egypt allocated 55 square kilometers in the El Dabaa area of the Mediterranean governorate of Matrouh, 183.9 miles to the northwest of Cairo, for the nuclear power plant.