GE wins contract for Egypt's first nuclear power plant

Egypt is building the reactors in partnership with Russia's Rosatom

Thin film solar (photovoltaic) modules --- Image by © Andreas Schlegel/fstop/Corbis
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GE won a contract to supply equipment and services to Egypt’s first nuclear power plant being built in cooperation with Russian state-run nuclear firm Rosatom, the company announced Tuesday.

GE did not disclose the value of the contract that includes the supply of four nuclear turbine generators to El Dabaa in the northern part of the country.

“As Egypt works to diversify its energy production and to support its growing economy, the El Dabaa nuclear power plant, equipped with GE Power’s Arabelle technology, will help Egypt deliver on their ambitious goals,” said Andreas Lusch, chief executive of GE’s Steam Power.

Moscow and Cairo agreed in 2015 to build a nuclear power plant in the North African country, with Moscow offering a loan to cover the construction cost. The 4,800 megawatt plant is expected to cost an estimated $21 billion (Dh77.1bn).

Egypt is seeking to diversify its power generation mix in order to lower reliance on fossil fuels as feedstock.

Cairo plans to meet 20 per cent of its energy needs from renewables by 2022 and 42 per cent by 2035.

Egypt could generate 53 per cent of its electricity mix from renewables by 2030, double the share expected from current plans and policies, the Abu Dhabi-based International Renewable Energy Agency said in a report on Tuesday.

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With renewable power, heat and fuels all involved in the mix, renewables could provide 22 per cent of Egypt’s total final energy supply in 2030, up from just 5 per cent overall in 2014.

“While investments in renewables would have to increase, the proposed shift would cut the country’s energy costs by $7 per megawatt hour (MWh) on balance, even before considering the health benefits of reducing air pollution,” the report said.