The Egyptian Minister of Electricity and Renewable Energy Mohamed Shaker and CEO of Rosatom Alexey Likhachev announced the start of the “first concrete casting” for the first unit of the Dabaa nuclear power plant during a ceremony specially organized to celebrate the historic anniversary.
During the ceremony on July 20, Likhachev said that the construction of a nuclear power plant will allow Egypt to do so. reach a new level technological development, industry and education.
“The start of construction of the first power unit for the Dabaa nuclear power plant means that Egypt will join the global nuclear club. Rosatom will build the last power units in the Arab Republic according to the “VVR-1200” project, Likhachev said.
He noted: “The construction of a nuclear power plant will enable Egypt to reach a new level of technological development, industry and education. This will be the largest Russian-Egyptian cooperation project since the construction of the Aswan dam ”.
He continued: “Nuclear power has been a dream of the Egyptian people for more than half a century and it is a great honor for Rosatom to make it happen.”
Shaker said during the ceremony: “The question of energy in all its dimensions has taken its appropriate place in the heart and mind of the political leadership, in recognition of the importance of the energy dossier which represents the main pillar for the future of stability and development in Egypt – and which serves as a national security for the great Egyptian people “.
He explained that Egypt has paid particular attention to relaunching the Egyptian nuclear project, and is among the leading countries in understanding the importance of nuclear energy and the role it can help solve the two most important obstacles facing development. sustainable, namely the supply of electricity and water supply.
In a telephone interview with Al-Monitor, Ayman Hamza, spokesman for the Egyptian Ministry of Electricity, explained that obtaining the green light to pour concrete in the first unit of the plant – which is an important step and an important achievement – has allowed the commencement of concrete works and works on the reactor, in addition to the work currently underway on the site, including the completion of the port facility and the production of long-term equipment.
He said: “From the first day we started the project, we have confirmed that the reactor will be of the third advanced type, which guarantees the highest degree of safety in the world so far.”
Hamza stressed that the nuclear reactor provided by the Russian side meets the highest requirements of nuclear safety and comprehensive safety features, which are included in the designs of modern third generation reactors developed.
“The safety systems of the Russian VVER-1200 reactors provide an unprecedented level of protection against internal and external factors and influences,” he noted. “If, God forbid, a 400-ton plane crashed into the reactor body, it wouldn’t be affected. These reactors are insured against many factors such as floods, earthquakes and other dangers ”.
Hamza confirmed that Egypt has taken these important steps to build the reactor as part of the state’s attempts to diversify energy sources.
He explained that there is great interest and coordination at the highest level between the Egyptian and Russian side in order to complete all the steps and procedures required to build the first Egyptian nuclear power plant in Dabaa, about 300 kilometers (186 miles) to northwest of Cairo.
Ali Abdel Nabi, former vice president of the Egyptian Nuclear Power Plant Authority, described the start of construction as “good news”, which achieves a “grand strategic goal” for Egypt, as part of his vision of diversify energy sources and enter the nuclear age to generate electricity through nuclear energy.
“Egypt looks forward to these measures. This is the result of the efforts of many years since 1954, when President Gamal Abdel Nasser wanted to carry out nuclear power plant projects, but the dream had to face many challenges and obstacles. Today it has become a reality, “Abdel Nabi told Al-Monitor.
He stressed that energy has become the real key to progress and the main wheel of economic development, noting that providing energy sources and introducing nuclear energy into factories would provide more job opportunities.
“The laying of the concrete block at the site of the first nuclear reactor unit will take place in tandem with the assembly of the mechanical installations of the Russian-made equipment,” he added.
Abdel Nabi explained that there are two teams operating at the same time: one team is handling the concrete work and the other team is assembling supplies on an ongoing basis when they arrive from Russia.
In 2017 Egypt and Russia signed an agreement start work on the Dabaa nuclear power plant during a meeting between Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
On June 1, the Russian state atomic energy company Rosatom announced the start of equipment production for the Egyptian power plant on the Mediterranean coast.
In recent years, Egypt has greatly expanded the electricity generation building huge stations that run on conventional fuels. Currently, Cairo has plans to export electricity to countries in the region such as Saudi Arabia and Sudan.
The Dabaa nuclear power plant is located about 300 kilometers northwest of Cairo. The Nuclear Power Plants Authority, which owns and operates the project, says the plant will include four units, each with a power capacity of 1,200 megawatts, for a total cost of $ 28.5 billion, funded through a Russian loan of $ 25 billion repayable over 35 years.
The plant is under construction according to the contracts that entered into force on 11 December 2017, under which Rosatom will build the facility and provide the integrated nuclear fuel lifecycle, as well as train staff and provide support in the operation of the facility, as well as work to provide services to the facility during the first 10 years of its operation and the construction of facilities designed to store spent nuclear fuel.
