Alexander Voronkov, Director of Rosatom in Egypt and the Middle East, declared recently that the plan for the construction of the plant of the Dabaa nuclear reactor is proceeding in accordance with the timetable agreed upon with the Egyptian side. The first concrete day is forecasted for 2020, which is the main stage in the implementation of any nuclear reactor.
He pointed out that «Rosatom» is currently working in cooperation with the Egyptian side to establish a technical school in nuclear energy to be used for graduate students in the future Dabaa plant.
According to the schedule, engineering surveys are being completed at the construction site overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. The technical design of the plant is also being developed according to the final engineering survey. Preparation of the documents in order to obtain the international construction permits for the reactor from the global nuclear authorities responsible for the safety and security of reactors around the world.
Rosatom plans to train some 2,000 Egyptians on the operation and maintenance work at the Dabaa nuclear power plant. The training of the operational staff is tentatively scheduled for late 2019 and the beginning of 2020, and the repair and maintenance staff will begin their training in 2024. Thus, Rosatom will prepare all the staff necessary for the successful and safe operation of four nuclear power plant units at the Dabaa nuclear reactor.
Russia is also modernizing a special education system that ensures the continuous training of young employees in the development of the nuclear industry in Egypt. One of the main directions for us is the retraining of faculty members in Egyptian universities. Since July and August of this year, trained specialists and teachers from Egyptian universities participated in several educational programs in Russia, where they completed a training course on VVER technology in cooperation with the Technical Academy of the Rosatom of the ANO DPO organization. Rosatom is willing to discuss and prepare the master’s in nuclear engineering majors in leading Russian universities.
Under this project, the Russian side proposed the introduction of training programs in nuclear specialties, laboratory processing, teacher training and access to distance learning courses. The best students will be directed to this educational institution to serve as staff for the repair and maintenance of the future nuclear power plant.
