The Egyptian Nuclear Plants Authority (NPPA) had been granted a site permit for El-Dabaa NPP in March, NPPA director Amged El Wakil said on 8 April. The permit followed reviews carried out by Egyptian Nuclear and Radiological Regulatory Authority (ENRRA) of the site in terms of design of structures and systems and an environment impact assessment.
ENRRA also invited an International Atomic Energy Agency Site and External Events Design Review Service (SEED) team to examine the location in January with specific attention to safety-related site characteristics and external natural and human hazards, including earthquakes, tsunamis, and human-induced external events. The site permit is a first step to attaining a construction licence. The permits within the nuclear licensing process for an NPP are issued for each unit separately. The only exception is the site permit which relates to all four nuclear units.
Four Russian-designed VVER-1200 pressurised water reactors are planned for El Dabaa on the Mediterranean coast. Russian state nuclear corporation Rosatom is developing the plant, which will be owned and operated by the NPPA. The plant is expected to account for up to 50% of Egypt’s power generation capacity.
