Egypt and Russia sign supplementary agreements to advance El-Dabaa nuclear plant

Egypt and Russia have signed a supplementary intergovernmental agreement to push forward the El-Dabaa nuclear power plant project in Egypt, Al Arabiya reported on July 8, citing a statement from Presidential Spokesman Mohamed El-Shenawy. 

The deal was signed in Cairo by Alexey Likhachev, Director General of Russia’s state nuclear corporation Rosatom, and Mahmoud Esmat, Egypt’s Minister of Electricity and Renewable Energy.

The El-Dabaa Nuclear Power Plant is Egypt’s first nuclear energy project, located on the Mediterranean coast in Matrouh Governorate. Being developed in cooperation with Rosatom, the plant will consist of four VVER-1200 reactors, each with a capacity of 1,200MW. 

El-Shenawy said the agreement focuses on enhancing physical protection systems and accelerating the construction of the nuclear plant in alignment with the approved schedule. 

In parallel, Andrei Petrov, CEO of Atomstroyexport, a Rosatom engineering division, and Sherif El-Hommosany, Chairman of Egypt’s Nuclear Power Plants Authority, signed a related technical contract covering construction details, design, procurement, and implementation phases.

Esmat said the new protocol and contractual supplement mark a key step toward completing the El-Dabaa plant. The facility aligns with Egypt’s 2040 energy strategy to achieve a sustainable and balanced mix of clean energy sources.

‘We are proud of our strategic partnership with Egypt and look forward to continuing this joint effort to deliver a flagship project that will strengthen Egypt’s energy security and sustainable development goals,’ Likhachev said.

In April, Likhachev estimated that the number of workers on-site at El-Dabaa could reach 30,000 in 2025, potentially rising to 40,000, making it the world’s largest nuclear construction site by area. Installation of the first reactor vessel is scheduled to begin in November 2025.