Egypt launches $86.4mn tender for El Dabaa Nuclear plant power grid connection

Egypt’s Ministry of Electricity has launched an international tender to construct a 500 kV ultra-high voltage power line designed to connect the El Dabaa Nuclear Power Plant to Egypt's national grid, Asharq Business reported on June 11, citing official sources.

The project carries an estimated investment cost of EGP 4.5bn ($86.4mn). The sources said that the planned 128-kilometre line will transmit the power generated by the nuclear facility and discharge it directly into the national energy network.

Construction works are expected to take approximately one year from the date the tender is awarded, and operations commence, with completion scheduled for Q3 2027. The new high-voltage infrastructure will complete the El Dabaa plant's wider electrical interconnection system. The system also includes two 220 kV lines, which are scheduled for completion by the end of June 2026 to absorb the initial capacities generated by the nuclear station.

The El Dabaa Nuclear Power Plant is estimated to cost $30bn. The plant is Russia's largest project outside its own borders and is implemented by energy firm Rosatom. The funding is driven by a long-term Russian state loan covering 85% of the total costs ($25bn), which extends over a 22-year repayment period at a 3% annual interest rate. 

The facility will feature four advanced Generation III+ VVER-1200 reactors with a total capacity of 4,800MW. Once fully operational by 2030, the plant is expected to generate roughly 12% of Egypt's national electricity requirements, saving an estimated 7bn cubic metres of natural gas annually.