The Nuclear Power Plants Authority (NPPA) of Egypt plans to issue a licence to build the first unit of El Dabaa nuclear power project. The project will be implemented by Russian nuclear company Rosatom in the second half of 2021. This permit will allow Rosatom to start preparation for concreting the foundations of installations. The first reactor is expected to be operational in 2026.
The project entails four Russian-designed VVER-1200 pressurized water reactors (PWRs) with a combined nameplate capacity of 4.8 GWe. It will be supported by a Russian 13-year (2016-2028) loan of US$25bn, which will finance roughly 85% of the value of each contract for the work, services and equipment shipping. Egypt will repay the loan amounts used over the next 22 years.
In April 2019, the Egyptian Nuclear Regulation and Radiological Authority (ENRRA) granted a site approval permit to the NPP1 of the El Dabaa project. The El Dabaa site was selected in 1983 but nuclear plans were shelved in 1986 after the Chernobyl disaster. The nuclear programme was relaunched after signing nuclear agreements with Russia in 2004 and 2008. Notices to proceed were signed in December 2017.
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