Egypt’s lower house of parliament has approved legislation that aims to speed up the project to build the country’s first commercial nuclear power station at El-Dabaa by offering tax exemptions to “all parties” involved in construction and operation.

The legislation amends 1976 laws related to the operation of the Nuclear Power Plants Authority (NPPA), which was set up in 1976 to establish, operate and manage nuclear power plants in Egypt.

The amended legislation gives the NPPA greater powers and flexibility to “remove all obstacles” standing in the way of implementing the El-Dabaa project, according to press reports in Cairo.