El-Sisi, Putin to witness El-Dabaa reactor assembly via videoconference

Ahram Online , Tuesday 18 Nov 2025

President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi and Russian President Vladimir Putin will participate via videoconference on Wednesday in a ceremony marking the installation of the reactor pressure vessel for the first unit of Egypt’s El-Dabaa Nuclear Power Plant, the presidency announced.

President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi

 

The event will also include the signing of the nuclear fuel purchase order, a key step in the plant’s ongoing development.

Presidential spokesman Ambassador Mohamed El-Shennawy stated that the timing coincides with Egypt’s fifth annual Nuclear Energy Day on 19 November, which commemorates the signing of the intergovernmental agreement with Russia for the construction and operation of the plant.

He described the occasion as a symbolic milestone in Egypt’s peaceful nuclear programme and a reflection of the strategic relationship between the two countries.

El-Shennawy noted that President El-Sisi is expected to deliver a speech during the event, which highlights Egypt’s pursuit of large-scale infrastructure projects that have shaped its development path, from the High Dam in the 1960s to the El-Dabaa plant today.

El-Dabaa is Egypt’s first nuclear facility and one of the country’s largest strategic megaprojects.

Developed with Russia’s state-owned Rosatom, the plant will feature four VVER-1200 pressurized water reactors with a total capacity of 4,800 MW, placing it among the world’s most advanced Generation III+ nuclear stations.

Once operational, it is expected to supply around 10 percent of Egypt’s electricity needs, support grid stability, and diversify the national energy mix.

Construction milestones began with the signing of the intergovernmental agreement in November 2015 and the formal start of contract implementation in December 2017, during Putin’s visit to Cairo.

Since then, the project has seen the pouring of the first concrete for all four units between 2022 and 2024, alongside the delivery of major components, including core-catchers and turbine generators.

 

The installation of the reactor pressure vessel, the most critical component of the nuclear island, marks the transition from civil construction to mechanical assembly. The event also includes the signing of the nuclear fuel purchase order, confirming readiness for pre-operational testing.

Under Egypt’s long-term agreements with Russia, Rosatom will supply nuclear fuel throughout the plant’s operational lifespan and manage spent fuel in line with international standards.

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