This was announced by Hassan Mahmoud, Head of Egypt’s Nuclear Power Plants Authority (NPPA). The country has taken all necessary steps since 2007 when Egypt decided to resume its national nuclear program, Hassan Mahmoud said at a meeting of Egypt’s Parliamentary Committee for Energy and Environmental Protection during the discussion of NPPA’s plans for 2017–2018.

The NPPA Head explained that Egypt had engaged a consulting agency to carry out large-scale research and select a strategic partner for the El Dabaa project. Hassan Mahmoud assured the committee members that NPPA had built all necessary infrastructure, utility lines and roads, and accounted for every aspect of the nuclear plant’s environmental impact.

The project is of strategic importance for the country as its economic development is clearly hampered by the shortage of cheap energy. Oil, which is a primary fuel in the country, is imported while the country’s demand for electricity is growing by 7% per annum.

On 19 November 2015, Russia and Egypt signed agreements in Cairo to construct Egypt’s first nuclear plant near El Dabaa on the Mediterranean coast and set out the terms and condition of a $25bn sovereign loan to be provided by the Russian Government.

The nuclear power plant will have four 1,200 MW reactor units. The agreements signed by the governments of Russia and Egypt provide for nuclear fuel supplies for the yet-to-be-built plant, operating support, maintenance and repair, spent nuclear fuel management, staff training and improvement of Egypt’s regulatory framework for the nuclear power industry and infrastructure. In addition, a memorandum was signed by Egypt’s Nuclear and Radiological Regulation Association (ENRAA) and Russia’s regulator Rostechnadzor. Egypt hopes to conclude commercial contracts with Russia and start the NPP construction soon.