Rosatom takes measures in Egypt’s Dabaa nuclear plant over coronavirus

CAIRO – 1 April 2020: Rosatom, the Russian state nuclear energy corporation, said it took precautionary measures in the Dabaa nuclear power plant in northern Egypt, which it develops, to curb the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19).

The plant in Matrouh governorate is under construction.

In remarks to Egypt Today, Rosatom’s media center said the measures restrict the entry of those who were recently present in one of the countries that are badly hit with the novel pandemic.

Also, buildings of the station are sterilized and masks are provided to the employees, the media center said, noting that awareness posters in Arabic, English and Russian were put up.

The site of the nuclear plant lies behind a 7-meter high fence, the media center said. Nobody suffering symptoms of the disease is allowed to enter, except by a permit that takes around a month to be obtained, it added.

Meetings between Rosatom and the Egyptian side are held through video, it noted.

In 2014, Egypt and Russia announced their cooperation in the nuclear power field. On November 19, 2015, an agreement was finally signed between Cairo and Moscow that allows Russia to build a nuclear power plant in the Mediterranean city of Dabaa, with Russia extending a $25 billion loan to Egypt to cover the cost of construction. The loan will cover 85 percent of the plant, with Egypt funding the remaining 15 percent.

According to the deal, Rosatom finances and constructs four third-generation reactors, with a capacity of 1,200 megawatts (MW) each, for a total of 4,800 MW. The plant will be built on approximately 12,000 feddans and is expected to create over 50,000 job opportunities.

Nuclear energy is part of the government’s plan to diversify its energy sources to prevent any future crisis resulting from shortages in electricity.

Egypt on energy transition track

CAIRO – 18 March 2020: Egypt mainly depends, in all its energy-related activities, on three major sources: oil, natural gas and the hydroelectric power generated from the large dam projects over the Nile: the High Dam, Aswan I & Aswan II dams.