Egypt has selected El Dabaa, a Mediterranean settlement to the west of Alexandria, as a construction site for the nuclear power plant. IAEA experts have confirmed that El Dabaa complies with all international requirements and standards and is qualified for the nuclear site.

At the meeting, Rosatom CEO made a construction proposal employing the latest nuclear technologies, says the public statement made by a representative of the President’s Office.

According to the statement, the parties “agreed to continue multi-level negotiations as part of Egypt’s strive to select the best international offer for the nuclear plant construction”.

Rather than building a single nuclear power plant, Russia will build an entire national nuclear industry from scratch, said Russian President Vladimir Putin in February after the talks with his Egyptian colleague Abdel Fattah el-Sisi. An agreement to develop the nuclear power plant project in Egypt was signed by Rosatom CEO Sergei Kirienko and Minister of Electricity and Renewable Energy Mohamed Shaker on the sidelines of the negotiations.

Russia plans to build four 1,200 MW units compliant with post-Fukushima safety standards, Mr. Kirienko said, and Moscow is ready to provide Cairo with a loan for this purpose. Speaking about the project specifics, Rosatom CEO announced that the nuclear station would be combined with desalination plants at the request of Egypt as it was very important for the country. Apart from building a nuclear power plant, he added, Russia is prepared to supply nuclear fuel, develop a regulatory framework and train nuclear personnel.

In May, Egypt assessed bids for the nuclear plant construction from Russia, France, China and South Korea. Egyptian authorities told media afterwards that the Russian bid had more advantages.

COMMENT:
According to Leonid Gusev, an expert with the MGIMO Analytical Center, Russia’s involvement in the Egyptian nuclear project evidences that contacts are in progress between the two countries as planned. “We all see that the nuclear market faces stiff competition – apart from Russia, construction bids were made by France, China and South Korea. I would name Rosatom’s ability to demonstrate reference projects, train local staff and offer favorable financial terms among its advantages as was informally mentioned by Egyptian officials. The Russian proposal is the most attractive against the backdrop of delays in the construction of the French unit in Finland and forthcoming reorganization of the French nuclear industry, and absence of Chinese or Korean reference projects.