Russia inks deal on Egypt's first nuclear power plant
Russian state corporation Rosatom and the Egyptian government signed a deal today to build Egypt's first nuclear power plant in a deal estimated at US$20 billion.
"With this signing we have taken the first step to fulfilling Egypt's dream" of peaceful nuclear power, Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sissi said at the signing ceremony, which was broadcast on Egyptian television.
The facility is planned to be built over 12 years in the north-western Egyptian region of El Dabaa and consists of four reactors, each capable of producing 1,200 megawatts of power, Russian state news agency Tass reported, citing Rosatom.
The surveying work for the construction is expected to begin next month, and Russia will begin training Egyptian nuclear workers for the facility next year, Tass reported.
Rosatom presented an offer in June to build the plant for an estimated US$20 billion, the Russian news agency said. The value of the actual deal has not been disclosed.
Previously, Russia helped Iran construct that country's first civilian nuclear power plant, near the south-western city of Bushehr.
Russia turned over operational control of that plant in 2013 and clinched a deal last year to build an additional two reactors at the facility.
- dpa
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