South Korean engineering firm Doosan Enerbility has been awarded a contract worth KRW1.6 trillion (USD1.2 million) by Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power (KHNP) to build the turbine islands of the El Dabaa nuclear power plant under construction in Egypt.

The contract was signed on 9 November in Cairo, Egypt, by Jungmook Lim, head of KHNP's Cairo office (left) and Daeyong Yu, director of Doosan Enerbility's Cairo branch (Image: Doosan Enerbility)

In August this year, KHNP signed a contract with Rosatom subsidiary Atomstroyexport (ASE) to construct 82 buildings and structures at the four units of Egypt's first nuclear power plant, including the turbine buildings, water treatment and air conditioning systems.

KHNP has now subcontracted Doosan Enerbility to construct 32 of those structures, including the turbine buildings.

Doosan Enerbility noted the contract marks the first time that it has won a contract for construction work on an overseas nuclear power plant. It has previously supplied the main equipment, such as the reactors and steam generators, for nuclear power plant projects. So far, a total of 34 reactors and 124 steam generators have been supplied by Doosan, with 11 of the reactors and 44 of the steam generators having been exported overseas. Doosan has participated in the construction of ten nuclear power plants in Korea, including Hanul units 1-6 and Shin-Kori units 3-6. It also supplied the main components for the Barakah plant in the UAE.

"As this is our first nuclear power plant construction contract won overseas, it is significant for Doosan Enerbility in that we will now be able to boast of a nuclear new build track record not only in Korea, but in the global market as well," said Inwon Park, CEO of Doosan Enerbility's Plant EPC Business Group. "We will do our utmost to successfully complete this project, so that we may contribute to the government and KHNP's efforts to win more global nuclear projects in the future."

Egypt's Nuclear Power Plants Authority in July 2021 applied to the Egyptian Nuclear and Radiological Regulatory Authority for a construction permit for the first two units at El Dabaa, in the Governorate of Matrouh on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, about 130 km northwest of Cairo. The plant is planned to comprise four VVER-1200 units, like those in operation at the Leningrad and Novovoronezh nuclear power plants in Russia, and the Ostrovets nuclear power plant in Belarus. Unit 1 began construction in July this year and applications to build units 3 and 4 were submitted in January.

Contracts that entered into force in December 2017 stipulate that Rosatom will build the plant as well as supply Russian nuclear fuel for its entire life cycle, and assisting Egyptian partners in training personnel and plant maintenance for the first 10 years of its operation.

In January, Rosatom approved KHNP as the sole bidder for the procurement of certain equipment and materials, and the construction of the main and auxiliary buildings and structures of the turbine islands, provided that it complied with ASE's procurement requirements and subject to the agreement of terms and conditions.

Turbine hall equipment for the plant is to be supplied by AAEM LLC, a joint venture of Atomenergomash and General Electric.

Researched and written by World Nuclear News