Sergey Kirienko, the head of Russia’s government-run nuclear energy firm Rosatom, arrived in Cairo on Monday to negotiate the construction of Egypt’s long-awaited nuclear plant, Russian news agency Sputnik reported, quoting sources at Cairo International Airport.
Rosatom is the only company in talks with Egypt for the construction of the station planned for the Dabaa region west of Egypt, Sputnik pointed out. It said Rosatom's deputy chief, Anton Moskvin, told Reuters last week that negotiations with Egypt for the electricity-generating project were nearly complete, predicting a deal to be signed by the end of 2015, and construction to conclude by 2022.
Egypt froze its plans for nuclear energy generation in 1986 following the Chernobyl disaster, but resumed its plans in 2006.
In February, Egypt and Russia signed a memorandum of understanding by which Russia would construct two reactors as part of the nuclear site, with a value worth US$5 billion.
