Construction of Dabaa's 1st unit to start Dec 12

CAIRO - 11 December 2017: The construction works of the first unit in Dabaa nuclear plant will start December 12, to work at a capacity of 1,200 megawatts and to be delivered by 2022, a source in the Ministry of Electricity said Monday.

Speaking to Egypt Today, the source said that Russia's state-owned Rosatom Company has received the land plot of the project in November 2015, and that it is keen on delivering the plant on time.

An agreement was finally signed between Cairo and Moscow in November 2015 that allows Russia to build a nuclear power plant in 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.

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