Mohammed Abu Zaid

CAIRO: The Egyptian Ministry of Electricity says that 20 percent of the equipment to be used in the El-Dabaa nuclear plant will be locally made.

Most of the equipment to be used in the nuclear power plant is manufactured in Russia, and Egypt is preparing a port to receive it, Ayman Hamza, spokesman for the Egyptian Ministry of Electricity, said on Tuesday.

In a televised statement, he said that the quantity of Egyptian-made equipment would increase in the future.

Last month, it was reported that the Egyptian Nuclear Power Plants Authority had completed sthe necessary documents to obtain permission to start construction on the plant to generate electricity with a capacity of 4800 megawatts.

Egypt has an ambitious plan to expand nuclear energy projects to generate electricity, said Dr. Hisham Hegazy, head of the authority, last month.

The El-Dabaa site is close to rail, road and transmission interconnections.

Hamza said: “We are seeking permission to establish the first and second units of the station to ensure safe operation.”

The permission would be an acknowledgment that the site of El-Dabaa and its characteristics “comply with the requirements of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA),” Hamza added.

“We are now focusing on completing the facilities for the El-Dabaa nuclear reactor; there are no delays in the workflow and we are proceeding according to the set plan,” he said.

Hamza said that there was “coordination at the highest level between the Egyptian and Russian groups regarding the plant. There is coordination between Egypt and the IAEA as well.”

“The year 2026-2027 will witness the beginning of the work of the first nuclear reactor in Egypt,” he said.

He said that the technology used in the project ensured the highest level of safety.

The project is a first of its kind in Egypt, planned for development in Matrouh Governorate on the Mediterranean coast, 250 km from Alexandria.

It is being developed by the Russian State Atomic Energy Corporation (ROSATOM) under a civil nuclear cooperation agreement signed between the governments of Russia and Egypt in 2015.

The cost of the project is $30 billion, 85 percent of which will be provided by Russia and the remaining amount by Egypt through private investors.