Egypt-Russia deal to build nuclear plant near El Alamein expected soon

Egypt and the Russian State Atomic Energy Corp. (Rosatom) will sign a final agreement this month regarding the construction of a nuclear power plant in Egypt, Egyptian Minister of Electricity and Renewable Energy Mohamed Shaker said this week.

The proposed nuclear plant would consist of four nuclear reactors with generating capacities of 1,200 megawatts apiece. An initial intergovernmental agreement was reached in November in Cairo. The Russian news agency TASS said this agreement also establishes the developmental steps to create nuclear infrastructure in Egypt alongside maintenance and refueling services.

"The negotiations with the Russian side are to be completed in mid-January," Shaker said. "Russia, which has built 96 reactors around the world, has accumulated a wealth of experience, and Rosatom’s offer has been recognized as the best financially and technically, as well as in terms of safety."

In February, Russian Federation President Vladimir Putin visited Egypt, and both countries reached a memorandum of understanding that facilitates further cooperation between Russia and Egypt in the area of nuclear engineering for power generation.

Local Egyptian paper, Al Akhbar said construction of the plant is expected to begin on Monday. The plant will be built near El Alamein, near the north coast of the country.