Agencies-Gaza post
Russia, South Korea collaborate at Egypt’s Dabaa nuclear power plant
South Korea will be tasked with constructing turbine buildings for Egypt’s first nuclear power plant in Dabaa, after state-run Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power secured a $ 2.25 billion deal by a subsidiary of the Russian state nuclear power company Rosatom.
On 25 August, Rosatom, the contractor for the Dabaa nuclear power plant project, signed the contract with Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Company collaborate in the construction of turbines.
In a declaration Published on its website, Rosatam said: “Under the agreement, the Korean company will build around 80 buildings and structures in four units of the power plant and procure and supply equipment and materials for the turbine islands.”
In 2015 Egypt and Russia agreed to build the plant, consisting of four nuclear cores reactors with a total capacity of 4,800 megawatts, at a cost of 30 billion dollars. Under the agreement, 85% of the cost will be financed through a Russian loan of $ 25 billion, with an interest rate of 3%.
Also under the 2015 agreement, Rosatom will build the Dabaa plant, supply nuclear fuel throughout its life cycle and provide operational and maintenance support for 10 years.
On 20 July, the Egyptian government gave the green light to build the first units of the Dabaa nuclear power plant.
Speaking at a press conference in Seoul on August 25, South Korean Senior Presidential Secretary for Economic Affairs Choi Sang-mok She said that the Dabaa project is South Korea’s largest nuclear power plant export since 2009, when it built the Barakah nuclear power plant in the United Arab Emirates.
“We encountered many difficulties in the contract negotiation process due to unforeseen variables, such as Russia’s war in Ukraine and sanctions against Russia,” added Choi, without going into details.
Ali Abdel Nabi, former vice president of the Egyptian Nuclear Power Plant Authority, told Al-Monitor: “South Korea excels in managing large companies and projects, especially in the nuclear field. … Cooperation with Russia in the implementation of the Dabaa plant in Egypt is natural to help complete the project on schedule. ”
Cyril Widdershoven a defense energy of the Middle East analyst and founder of TRUE, an integrated risk advisory firm based in the Netherlands, shares the same opinion. He told Al-Monitor: “Cooperation between Russia and South Korea is important for both countries, in light of the current geopolitical situation.”
Both Russia and South Korea “are the best choice for the implementation of the Dabaa plant,” he said. “The Koreans have great skills in building and managing large projects and will be able to implement the project with a high level of efficiency.”
In turn, Abdel Nabi said that Russia “is currently concerned about the war with Ukraine and its partnership with South Korea will help it complete the necessary construction for the Dabaa plant”.
According to a report drawn up by Columbia Center on Global Energy Policy in May, “In 2021, a total of 439 nuclear reactors were in operation: 38 residing in Russia and 42 operating in other countries were of the Russian type VVER (including 15 in Ukraine). At the end of 2021, 15 Russian-designed reactors were under construction in other countries ”.
Abdel-Nabi also noted that the United States has given the green light to South Korea to work at Egypt’s Dabaa nuclear power plant, given the economic sanctions imposed on Russia.
“It is clear that Egypt needed the Koreans to step forward. Direct economic repercussions could emerge from the collaboration with Russia right now amid the economic sanctions signed in Moscow, which are targeting Russian industries, “said Widdershoven.
Sang-mok said at the Seoul press conference that South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol had instructed relevant authorities to inform the United States – which he described as a “nuclear ally” – about the deal.
He noted that Yoon expressed his country’s commitment to the project in a message to Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.
The South Korean Ambassador to Egypt, Hong Jin Wook, said in a statement on 25 August that his country will exploit its participation in the Dabaa plant project to expand its contribution to the development of the nuclear industry in the Middle East and the African continent in the next phase.
Muhammad Suleiman, a non-resident scholar of the Middle East Institute’s Cyber Program and Egypt Program, told Al-Monitor: “South Korea has a proven track record of delivering highly complex projects. Its potential success in Egypt will help Seoul solidify its position as a reliable partner for other Arab nations such as the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. In terms of aspiring civilian nuclear programs, Riyadh and Abu Dhabi face the same strategic choices as Cairo. ”
He noted, however, that Egypt supports it strong bilateral relations with both Washington and Moscow, he prefers South Korea. “In the wider Middle East, and particularly in Cairo, Seoul is seen as a reliable partner in the field of technology and defense. Arab countries can collaborate with South Korea without antagonizing Beijing and Moscow, ”she concluded
