Russian state energy corporation Rosatom is preparing to launch an international tender for the implementation of construction work of the Dabaa Nuclear Power Plant, while contracting with the winning companies will take place in July.

Sources at Rosatom told Daily News Egypt that the winning companies will handle the project’s construction work as well as the establishment of its infrastructure. In addition, they will also handle constructing temporary roads for the project, as well as administrative offices and accommodation for the project’s workers.

The sources explained that Rosatom is close to concluding the criteria and controls of the tender, and the opportunity is available before all Egyptian and Russian companies to participate. “We hope that an Egyptian company would handle the construction work,” the sources added.

They explained that the Ministry of Military Production will handle examining the submitted offers and the awarding of contracts to the winning companies in coordination with the Russian side. “The most important points to consider in the companies to be chosen as winners of the tender are their ability to perform the work efficiently and having previous experience. Competing companies will submit research of a specified quality in order to be allowed to bid for the tender,” the sources said.

The Russian company plans to lay the foundation stone of the nuclear plant in February 2020. The construction duration will be 54 months, followed by the operation of the first nuclear reactor of a 1,200 MW capacity.

Egypt signed an agreement with Russia to establish a nuclear power plant in El-Dabaa with a total capacity of 4,800 MW. President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, announced last month the final approval of the project.

Russia will be providing a loan to Egypt worth $25bn in order to fund 85% of the total value of the project, including the work and services of the construction and operation equipment of Dabaa Nuclear Power Plant.