Putin plans to attend concrete pouring ceremony at El-Dabaa NPP in Egypt

Russian President Vladimir Putin is going to participate in the ceremony of pouring the first concrete into the foundation of the fourth power unit at the El Dabaa Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) in Egypt, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.

"It (Putin's participation - TASS) is being worked out, it is a very important ceremony. Our cooperation with Egyptian partners in various fields continues, it is our very important partner, including that hi-tech field so important for Egypt's further development," the Kremlin spokesman said, TASS reports.

Peskov emphasized that "Russia is the absolute, undisputed leader of the nuclear industry on a global scale." "We provide better, higher-quality, cheaper services, and it is very difficult for other participants in this market to compete with us," the Russian leader's spokesman pointed out.

As previously reported, the pouring of the first concrete at the fourth unit of the El-Dabaa NPP will mark the end of the preparatory period and the transition to the main stage of capital construction of all units of the plant.

"El-Dabaa is the first nuclear power plant in Egypt to be built by Rosatom in the Matrouh Governorate on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea about 300 kilometres northwest of Cairo. This is Rosatom's first major project in Africa. By 2028, the state corporation will build four units of the plant with VVER-1200 reactors and will supply nuclear fuel throughout the life cycle of the NPP (60 years), as well as provide training, maintenance and repair services for 10 years after the start-up of each unit. The contract also provides for the construction of the first module of dry containerized storage of spent nuclear fuel by 2028. Egypt expects the NPP to reach full capacity by 2030.