El Dabaa Nuclear Power Plant Fast-Tracked as Egypt and Russia Reinforce $25 Billion Partnership

Egypt and Russia have reaffirmed their commitment to keeping one of the world’s most consequential nuclear construction projects, the El Dabaa Nuclear Power Plant, firmly on schedule. During a meeting in Cairo on 10 April 2026, Egypt’s Minister of Electricity and Renewable Energy, Mahmoud Esmat, emphasized the importance of enhanced coordination between Egyptian and Russian institutions to ensure timely delivery of the El Dabaa Nuclear Power Plant, located on Egypt’s northern Mediterranean coast. Esmat held talks with a Russian parliamentary delegation led by Nikolai Shulginov, chairman of the State Duma Committee on Energy, with discussions covering implementation progress, phase timelines, and preparations for transitioning between construction stages. The plant is being developed under a 2015 agreement between Egypt and Russia, with final contracts signed in 2017, at an estimated cost of USD 25 billion, largely financed through a Russian state loan on concessional terms. Once completed, the facility will consist of four nuclear reactors with a combined capacity of 4,800 megawatts, with the first reactor scheduled to begin operations in 2028 and the remaining units planned to follow by 2030. The latest diplomatic engagement reflects both sides’ awareness that delivery confidence, not just technical progress, is now the central challenge on a project of this scale and geopolitical sensitivity.