Egypt’s electricity min. touts El-Dabaa nuclear plant as strategic boost at Moscow forum

Egypt’s Electricity Minister Mahmoud Esmat said on Thursday the country’s first nuclear power plant at El-Dabaa will deliver wide-ranging economic and social benefits, as Cairo seeks to deepen energy cooperation with Russia.

Speaking at a roundtable chaired by Russian President Vladimir Putin during World Atomic Week in Moscow, Esmat said the El-Dabaa project marked Egypt’s entry into nuclear energy for electricity generation.

Esmat said the project “would have positive impacts across all aspects of life – from the economy and industry to health, pharmaceuticals, research and technology,” the ministry of electricity said in a statement.

The minister conveyed greetings from President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, praising Moscow’s historic role in supporting Egypt, from the construction of the Aswan High Dam to the current nuclear project. He called El-Sisi “the visionary behind the decision” to pursue nuclear power.

The El-Dabaa plant, under construction on Egypt’s Mediterranean coast about 300 km northwest of Cairo, will comprise four 1,200-megawatt reactors supplied by Russia’s Rosatom. The VVER-1200 Generation III+ units are among the most advanced pressurised water reactors currently in operation globally. Construction began in 2017 and is advancing on schedule, the ministry said.

Esmat said Egypt aims to raise renewable energy’s share in the power mix to 42 per cent by 2030 and 65 per cent by 2040, stressing that nuclear and renewables should be seen as complementary. “El-Dabaa provides a stable backbone for the grid, enabling large-scale integration of solar and wind while reducing reliance on fossil fuels and cutting emissions,” he said.

The World Atomic Week, which concludes in Moscow on Friday, brings together heads of state, ministers and industry leaders to discuss the future of nuclear energy in the global energy transition.

Attribution: Amwal Al Ghad English