Egypt and Russia are pushing to accelerate construction of the El Dabaa nuclear power plant and keep it on schedule.
Egypt’s Minister of Electricity and Renewable Energy Mahmoud Esmat stressed the need for closer coordination between Egyptian and Russian institutions to deliver the project.
Meeting a Russian State Duma delegation on Friday, he said El Dabaa was central to Egypt’s peaceful nuclear program to generate electricity.
The plant is being built in the northern Dabaa area under a 2015 agreement between Cairo and Moscow, with a cost of $25 billion financed through a concessional Russian state loan. Final construction agreements were signed in 2017.
Esmat held talks with a Russian parliamentary delegation led by Nikolai Shulginov, chairman of the State Duma Committee on Energy. Egypt’s Electricity Ministry said discussions focused on expanding cooperation in clean and renewable energy and reviewing progress at the El Dabaa project.
The delegation also visited the project site. Russia’s embassy in Cairo said the trip underscored the project’s strategic importance and reflected strong cooperation between the two countries in the peaceful use of nuclear energy.
Talks covered implementation progress, phase timelines, and preparations for transitioning between construction stages. The two sides also reviewed coordination between joint work teams and companies involved in the project.
El Dabaa will include four nuclear reactors with a combined capacity of 4,800 megawatts, each producing 1,200 megawatts. The first reactor is due to start operations in 2028, with the remaining units scheduled to follow by 2030, according to the Electricity Ministry.
Esmat said Egypt’s partnership with Russia and the two countries’ long-standing ties had supported progress at the site. He said the project was key to diversifying power generation, expanding reliance on clean and renewable energy, and advancing Egypt’s energy mix strategy.
Shulginov said the project goes beyond building a nuclear plant, aiming to establish a new advanced technological industry supported by infrastructure that strengthens Egypt’s energy security.
Egypt’s Electricity Ministry said the plant relies on advanced engineering solutions and cost-effective, reliable technologies that meet the highest safety and environmental standards.
