Egypt restarts nuclear plan

• 9 years ago (2014-07-26)
• Junior Isles

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Egypt is set to launch a tender as it restarts plans to build its first nuclear power plant, according to state-owned A l Ahram Newspaper reports.

The tender is to be held at the end of the year and will be open to foreign companies. However, it was not specified whether the bid will be open to only a select group of companies or all interested firms.

Egypt’s Nuclear Energy Adviser to the Ministry of Electricity, Ibrahim El-Osery told Daily News Egypt that “one of the conditions for the tender is that whoever wins will take the responsibility of financing the project until it is implemented”. El-Osery added that the amount Egypt will save from using nuclear energy as opposed to conventional energy will be used to pay for the project.

The plant, to be located at Dabaa on Egypt’s Mediterranean coast, is planned to have two stations – one with a capacity of 1600 MW and the other 900 MW. Power generated will be used to boost the electricity supply in the country, which has experienced blackouts in recent years due to fuel shortages.

Russia’s Rosatom is reportedly in talks with the Egyptian government about the plant.

Former president Hosni Mubarak started the Dabaa nuclear power plant. However, it was halted due to disputes with local residents, who accused the state of confiscating their land by force and without proper compensation.