Mr Hassan Younes Egyptian Electricity Minister as said that Australia's WorleyParsons signed a nuclear power plant consultancy contract with Egypt worth EGP 896 million.

WorleyParsons won the contract after talks with initial favorite US based Bechtel Power Corp stalled. The company had come in second after Bechtel in the tender held by Egypt to pick a consultant for its first nuclear power plant.

Mr Younes confirmed the contract was signed to reporters after the deal was inked by the head of Egypt's Atomic Energy Authority and a WorleyParsons executive.

Egypt said that in October 2007 it will build several nuclear power stations to meet its growing energy needs and has had nuclear cooperation offers from China, Russia, France and Kazakhstan.

Official media have said that the consultancy will choose the technology and the site for the reactors, ensure quality control for the project, train personnel to run the power plant and provide other technical services.

The report added that the company would also supervise design, construction and early test runs.

(Sourced from Arab Finance)