Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power (KHNP) will construct some 80 buildings and structures at the four units of Egypt's first nuclear power plant as well as procuring and supplying equipment and materials for the turbine islands under a contract it has signed with Rosatom subsidiary Atomstroyexport (ASE).

The contract was signed after "substantial" preparatory work, Rosatom said (Image: Rosatom)

Rosatom earlier this year approved KHNP as the sole bidder for the contract provided that it complied with ASE's procurement requirements and subject to the agreement of terms and conditions. The contract is the first overseas nuclear power plant construction project to be led by KHNP, and is its first large-scale nuclear power plant project in 13 years since winning the order for the United Arab Emirates' Barakah plant as part of a consortium led by Korea Electric Power Co.

KHNP CEO Jooho Whang said the contract for the construction of the turbine islands is a "significant achievement for Korea" which has already demonstrated its capabilities for project construction and management in the UAE. "Building upon our experience acquired in the UAE, KHNP will do its best for the successful implementation of the El-Dabaa NPP project," he said.

Alexander Korchagin, Atomstroyexport senior vice president for NPP construction project management, said the El Dabaa project - where construction formally began last month - is an attractive project for international companies. KHNP is joining a pool of qualified participants in the construction works, including major Egyptian companies, he added.

The El Dabaa nuclear power plant - about 320 kilometres north-west of Cairo - will comprise four VVER-1200 units, like those already in operation at the Leningrad and Novovoronezh nuclear power plants in Russia, and the Ostrovets nuclear power plant in Belarus. Under contracts which entered into force in 2017, Russia is to build the plant and supply Russian nuclear fuel for its entire life cycle, as well as assisting with personnel training and plant maintenance for the first 10 years of its operation. According to KHNP, the aim is for commercial operation of the first unit in 2028.

"Nuclear energy does not only play an important role in meeting the increasing demand for electricity and achieving carbon neutrality but it also brings nations together," Rosatom Director for International Business Boris Arseev said at the signing ceremony. "We at Rosatom strongly believe that nuclear cooperation must not stop in these turbulent times. On the contrary, it is of paramount importance to develop and expand it further benefitting our countries."

Researched and written by World Nuclear News