On July 8, 2025, Director General of the State Corporation Rosatom Alexey Likhachev paid a working visit to Egypt. During the visit, he held a meeting with the President of the Arab Republic of Egypt Abdel Fattah El-Sisi to discuss strategic cooperation between Russia and Egypt in the peaceful use of nuclear energy, as well as the ongoing construction of the El-Dabaa NPP.
“The construction of the El-Dabaa Nuclear Power Plant in Egypt is an absolute priority for us. Thanks to well-coordinated efforts between the Russian and Egyptian sides, full-scale construction and installation work is currently underway at all four power units. Over 24,000 people are involved in the project on a daily basis, the majority of whom are Egyptian nationals. This contributes to the development of local competencies and creates new jobs. We are confident that the successful implementation of the El-Dabaa NPP project will strengthen Russian-Egyptian relations, enhance Egypt’s energy independence, and lay the groundwork for continued technological partnership between our countries,” stated Alexey Likhachev.
During the meeting, mechanisms for
Russian participation in developing the plant’s physical protection system were
also outlined. At the headquarters of Egypt’s Ministry of Electricity and
Renewable Energy, a signing ceremony was held for a Protocol amending the
intergovernmental agreement on cooperation in the construction of a nuclear
power plant in Egypt, as well as a supplemental agreement to the EPC contract
between JSC Atomstroyexport (Rosatom’s Engineering Division and the general
contractor for the El-Dabaa NPP project) and the Nuclear Power Plants Authority
of Egypt.
The newly signed documents allow for Russian participation in the design, supply of equipment and materials, and the construction, installation, and commissioning activities required to establish the El-Dabaa NPP’s physical protection system. The site will be equipped with modern safety systems fully compliant with IAEA standards.
The El-Dabaa NPP is Egypt’s first nuclear power
plant. It is located in the city of El-Dabaa in the Matrouh Governorate on the
Mediterranean coast, approximately 300 kilometers northwest of Cairo. The plant
will consist of four power units, each with a capacity of 1,200 MW, equipped
with Gen III+ Russian VVER-1200 reactors. These are state-of-the-art
technologies, with reference units already operating successfully. The El-Dabaa
NPP is being built under a set of contracts that came into force on December
11, 2017. According to these agreements, the Russian side is not only
responsible for construction but will also supply nuclear fuel throughout the
plant’s operational life. Russia will assist the Egyptian partners in training
plant personnel for operations and maintenance during the first 10 years of the
NPP’s service life. In addition, under a separate contract, Russia will
construct special storage facilities and provide containers for spent nuclear
fuel.
Rosatom’s Engineering Division brings together key companies in the nuclear industry, including JSC Atomstroyexport (located in Moscow and Nizhny Novgorod, with branches across Russia and abroad), the Joint Design Institute JSC Atomenergoproekt (with design branches in Moscow, Nizhny Novgorod, and St. Petersburg, as well as research and overseas branches), and affiliated construction organizations. The Engineering Division holds the global lead in terms of both project portfolio and the number of NPPs being constructed simultaneously in different countries. Approximately 80% of its revenue comes from international projects. The division carries out large-scale NPP construction projects in Russia and abroad, offering a full range of EPC, EP, and EPC(M) services, including project management and design, and is advancing Multi-D technologies for managing complex engineering facilities. The division builds on the achievements of Russia’s nuclear industry and the latest innovations (www.ase-ec.ru).
