The Egyptian-Russian Nuclear Energy Forum, organised by Rosatom and the Egyptian Nuclear Power Plant Authority (NPPA), took place in the Egyptian capital of Cairo.
Mostafa Madbouly, Chairman of Egypt’s Council of Ministers, commented at the forum’s plenary session: “Relations between Russia and Egypt are strategic in nature and have witnessed many successful projects, especially the Aswan Dam project. The construction of El-Dabaa NPP is a step towards the development of greater cooperation between our countries. Russia is a leader in the field of nuclear energy, with sufficient experience to successfully implement such a large-scale project. A few days ago, on 19 November, I had the privilege of attending a celebration for Egypt’s Atomic Energy Day. It was on this day in 2015 that our countries signed an Intergovernmental Agreement on the construction of a nuclear power plant.”
Russian Ambassador to Egypt Georgy Borisenko said: “The Egyptian-Russian Nuclear Energy Forum is not the first event of its kind to be jointly held in Cairo by ROSATOM and NPPA. The great interest in this event clearly reflects the importance place this issue occupies on the countries’ bilateral agenda and the overall positive dynamics of our relationship. Over the last decade, our cooperation has benefitted from a new momentum thanks to the personal interest of our respective presidents Vladimir Putin and Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi. As was the case for the Aswan Dam, El-Dabaa NPP, which is soon to be built by ROSATOM, will become a new symbol of the friendship between our countries. Not only will the plant’s construction increase Egypt’s energy autonomy, it will also contribute to the decarbonisation of the global economy and to the fight against climate change.”
Speaking at the forum’s opening, Grigory Sosnin said: “Together with the country’s leadership and the Egyptian Nuclear Power Plant Authority team, we are working hard to ensure the implementation of Egypt’s first nuclear power plant project. El-Dabaa NPP power units will be equipped with Russia’s latest, 3+ generation VVER-1200 reactors – currently the world’s most advanced in terms of safety. We are convinced that Egypt will have the best and safest nuclear power plant equipped with the most modern technology.”
Participants discussed various aspects of the El-Dabaa NPP project, including issues related to ROSATOM’s supply chain, the rules and peculiarities of tenders pertaining to the plant’s construction, cooperation between designers, regulators, and businesses in the construction process, and related challenges and opportunities. A number of sessions were dedicated to the question of public acceptance and safety of Russian nuclear technologies, the use of modern digital advancements and their impact on the timeframe and cost of construction of nuclear facilities, design solutions and regulatory frameworks, and the importance of the El-Dabaa NPP project for the Egyptian economy and the fight against climate change.
ROSATOM presented a unique project, “Atoms for Humanity” in the framework of a session on public acceptance of nuclear energy. By highlighting simple human stories, this project illustrates how nuclear technologies transform people’s lives and serve to reveal the myriad of opportunities to help achieve the UN’s sustainable development goals through the peaceful use of the atom. Participants were also “visited” the Leningrad NPP and communicate with its specialists without leaving the hall thanks to a virtual press tour prepared by Rosenergoatom Concern JSC in a first-of-its-kind 360° immersive virtual photo tour depicting the plant’s operation.
Over 500 participants, amongst them representatives of Egyptian and international construction, mechanical engineering, engineering, and equipment companies from Egypt, Russia, France, Germany, Italy, South Korea, and the UAE, as well as journalists from Egypt’s leading media organisations, attended the event. Students from the private schools Menese, Manaret, Global Paradigm, as well as students from Russian-Cairo University and Cairo University, also took part in the session on public acceptance.
