The intense technical negotiations between the US Bechtel Corporation and the Egyptian Nuclear Power Plants Authority (NPPA) ended yesterday after the two parties agreed to amend some items in the technical offer made by Bechtel. However, the two parties will start a second round of negotiations over the cost of the project's first and second phases, Al-Masry Al-Youm learnt. The US company has shown great flexibility with regard to the requests made by the official committee in charge of the negotiations, an official source told the daily, adding that indicators show that Egypt would get financial cuts from the American company. The technical agreement stipulates that Bechtel has to study six sites, including Dabaa on the Mediterranean coast, to choose one within six months for the establishment of nuclear plants.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) will specify the Egyptian sites suitable for the establishment of the stations. Bechtel's report on the sites will be a key reference for decision makers before they may decide whether Dabaa is suitable for the project or not, the source added.
The US company is committed to putting the technical specifications for the first-ever station. It will also obtain all required permits to launch the first phase in three years, a time limit for the establishment of the first nuclear power plant in 2012, the source went on to say.
The company will be fined if it breaches any of the agreed-upon items, the source said, pointing out that the final version of the contract will be ready in a week to be sent to the appropriate committees for review. After that, it will be legally reviewed by the State's Council. According to the source, Bechtel has confirmed its commitment to the specifications, which stipulate that the US company should not have any kind of cooperation or legal tie with any global nuclear company or supplier, even if it were American. In fact, Bechtel is able, with its long experience in this area, to set specifications for any type of nuclear power plants.
