Al-Masry Al-Youm learned Tuesday the Ministry of Electricity is preparing to launch an international tender to help cover the expected costs of Egypt's first nuclear reactor, to be built in the coastal region of Dabaa. To avoid the Christmas holidays the offer is scheduled to be held in late November, rather than in December, as previously planned. A ministry source told Al-Masry Al-Youm Monday the trip of a second group of trainees to Russia will be delayed until late November due to preparations for the nuclear reactor, and the need for the trainees to participate in discussions taking place with WorleyParsons Ltd, the project's Australian consultant. The source revealed that 15 experts from the consultant agency's head office in Bulgaria will arrive in Cairo within days to review the technical terms of the specifications manual with the Nuclear Power Plants Authority (NPPA). The source said the NPPA has finalized contractual terms for the first specifications and conditions manual, which will be presented to international companies seeking to participate in the project. The source said the manual is composed of three parts, which include financial, technical and contractual terms. The financial terms are concerned with financing packages, payment terms, fines, insurance, letters of guarantee and primary delivery of the project, according to the source. The technical terms--currently being finalized--are concerned with the different components of the reactor as well as generators, turbines, the reactor core, design models of buildings, and connection with the national network. The required capacity, which should not go below 1000 MW or above 1200 MW, also remains under consideration, said the source. The contractual terms between Egypt and the company that wins the bid concern legal obligations, contracts, late penalties, and emergency and conflict procedures. The source also said that Egypt has stipulated two clauses which will open the door to local companies to participate in the project. These include a clause mandating at least 20 percent of components be from local, not imported supply. The second clause requires at least 20 percent of the companies participating in the project to be local. The source added that a study is being prepared by the Egyptian Electricity Holding Company's planning sector to determine the most suitable techniques for transferring the power produced by the nuclear power plant to the national network. Translated from the Arabic Edition
