Russia Completes Egypt’s El Dabaa Nuclear Power Plant

Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Kamal Madbouly has announced the successful installation of a key safety component—a “melt trap”—at the fourth and final unit of the El Dabaa Nuclear Power Plant. The project, located in the north of the country, is being built in collaboration with Russia’s state nuclear corporation Rosatom.

Madbouly hailed the milestone as a historic achievement for Cairo, saying that “The current global energy crisis confirms Egypt’s right choice to embrace renewable energy sources. The El Dabaa nuclear power plant project is the foundation for realizing the long-term development goals of the Egyptian state.”

The El Dabaa Nuclear Power Plant is the first nuclear power plant in Egypt and is located at El Dabaa, about 320 kilometers northwest of Cairo. The plant has four VVER-1200 reactors, making Egypt the only country in the region to have a Generation III+ reactor. The project cost US$28.75 billion of which Russia financed 85% as a state loan, with Egypt providing the remaining 15% in the form of installments. The Russian loan has a repayment period of 22 years, with an annual interest rate of 3%.

The construction of a fourth reactor at El Dabaa began in January this year. Initiated in 2017, the project is financed jointly by Moscow and Cairo, with Rosatom supplying nuclear fuel to the facility throughout its life cycle. For the first ten years, Rosaatom will also assist in training personnel and managing the plant.

In October, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi described Egypt’s partnership with Russia as “strategic” during a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the 16th BRICS Summit in Kazan.