Hesham Hegazy, head of the nuclear fuel sector at the Nuclear Power Plants Authority (NPPA), said the country is seeking to have a nuclear share of 8% by 2030. He made the comments during a panel discussion held by Russia’s state nuclear corporation Rosatom on the role of nuclear energy in sustainable development.
Rosatom is helping Egypt build four Generation III+ VVER-1200 reactors at the El Dabaa nuclear site, about 300 km northwest of the capital Cairo on the Mediterranean coast.
El Dabaa will be Egypt’s first commercial nuclear facility. The first unit is scheduled to begin commercial operation in 2026.
Russia has agreed to lend Egypt $25bn for the construction of the project, earlier reports said, adding that 85% of the project will be financed through a Russian loan with an interest rate of 3%.
The NPPA recently submitted licensing documentation for a permit for construction of the first two units at El Dabaa to the national Nuclear and Radiological Regulation Authority.