Russia's state nuclear corporation Rosatom is planning to teach 2,000 Egyptian specialists how to operate Egypt's first nuclear power plant (NPP) in Dabaa, Vice President of ASE Engineering Company (subsidiary of Rosatom) Grigory Sosnin told Sputnik.
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 12th October, 2018) Russia's state nuclear corporation Rosatom is planning to teach 2,000 Egyptian specialists how to operate Egypt's first nuclear power plant (NPP) in Dabaa, Vice President of ASE Engineering Company (subsidiary of Rosatom) Grigory Sosnin told Sputnik.
"Right now we are holding meetings in Egypt as part of a joint Russian-Egyptian working group to organize the process of training personnel for the future NPP. Work is currently ongoing in several directions. Firstly, within the framework of the project, Rosatom plans to train about 2,000 operational and maintenance personnel for Dabaa NPP," Sosnin said.
The organizational structure of the Dabaa NPP's personnel has already been agreed upon, and the staff schedule has been coordinated based on said structure, according to Sosnin.
"The work is carried out in accordance with the schedule. The start of training for operational personnel is tentatively scheduled for the end of 2019 and the beginning of 2020, while for maintenance personnel [training] is scheduled for 2024. Thus, Rosatom will prepare all the personnel necessary for the successful and safe operation of the four units of the nuclear power plant. At the moment, the parties have started to coordinate training programs for licensed personnel," Sosnin added.
ASE expects from the Egyptian side to get permits to start the work of the preparatory period, Sosnin noted.
"At the moment, we are at the stage of licensing and preparatory works. We expect to receive the necessary permits to carry out works on the site, including excavation works, preparation of the foundation pit of the NPP, construction of temporary roads and communications, preparation of the construction base, which will ensure the construction of the nuclear power plant in the future," Sosnin said.
According to Sosnin, Roasatom has provided the Egyptian side with the whole package of project documentation, which is necessary to proceed with the construction of the NPP.
The ASE vice president added that by the end of 2018, the company would announce first tenders for Egyptian companies for the right to carry out the preparatory construction works at the NPP site, while first subcontracting deals are scheduled to be signed in the first quarter of 2019.
"The Egyptian National Localization Committee has handed to ASE an approved list of 193 companies. In July, a seminar was held on participation of these companies in the Rosatom tender procedures. Atomeks Forum of Nuclear Industry Suppliers will be held in Cairo on November 25-26. So, we can say that the active work is being constantly carried out with all Egyptian companies," Sosnin explained.
In November 2015, Russia and Egypt signed an intergovernmental agreement to build the Dabaa NPP. The plant will consist of four 3+ generation, 1,200-megawatt nuclear reactors that will meet the highest "post-Fukushima" security standards. The plant is expected to be built by Rosatom within 12 years. The project officially started on December 11, 2017. The launch of the NPP's first unit is expected in 2026.
