Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi commended the ongoing cooperation with Russia’s State Atomic Energy Corporation (Rosatom) on the El Dabaa Nuclear Power Plant. He highlighted the project’s critical role in advancing Egypt’s commitment to expanding renewable and clean energy sources to satisfy national power demands. Emphasizing the steady progress achieved across various construction phases, the President called for continued joint coordination to maintain strict adherence to project timelines.

This came during the president’s meeting with Alexey Likhachev, director general of Russia’s state nuclear corporation Rosatom, in Moscow to review progress on the El Dabaa Nuclear Power Plant and stress the importance of adhering to its implementation schedule. The meeting took place on the sidelines of the third Russia-Africa Summit in Moscow.

The meeting focused on the project’s latest construction developments and ways to strengthen cooperation between Egypt and Russia in the peaceful uses of nuclear energy.

El Dabaa comprises four nuclear reactors with a combined capacity of 4,800 megawatts (MW). The project is a cornerstone of Egypt’s strategy to diversify its electricity generation mix, strengthen energy security, and reduce reliance on conventional power generation sources.

Separately, Minister of Electricity and Renewable Energy Mahmoud Esmat met with Likhachev during the summit, held in Moscow on October 28-29, to discuss construction progress, implementation schedules, and plans to connect the plant’s units to Egypt’s national electricity grid.

The discussions also covered potential cooperation in small modular reactors, floating nuclear power plants, and research reactors, alongside a proposed integrated seawater desalination project to serve El Dabaa and surrounding areas.

Esmat said the nuclear plant was one of Egypt’s most important national strategic projects, adding that cooperation with Rosatom includes technology transfer, knowledge sharing, and training Egyptian personnel to operate and manage nuclear facilities in line with international standards.

The proposed desalination project aims to provide a sustainable source of freshwater to support urban expansion and economic and industrial activities in El Dabaa and nearby areas. The statement did not specify the project’s investment value, desalination capacity, or implementation timetable.