In Photos: Reactor pressure vessel installed at Egypt's El Dabaa Nuclear Plant’s second unit

CAIRO – 9 July 2026: Egypt on Thursday marked the installation of the reactor pressure vessel for the second unit of the El Dabaa Nuclear Power Plant, a major milestone in the country's first nuclear power project.

Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly attended the installation ceremony alongside senior Egyptian officials, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Rafael Grossi, and Director General of the Russian State Atomic Energy Corporation "Rosatom" Alexey Likhachev.

Located on Egypt's Mediterranean coast in Matrouh Governorate, El Dabaa is the country's first nuclear power plant, designed exclusively for peaceful use and intended to enhance energy security by expanding Egypt's sources of electricity.

 

The project comprises four Russian-designed Generation III+ VVER-1200 pressurized water reactor units, each with a capacity of 1,200 megawatts, bringing the plant's total generating capacity to 4,800 MW.

Speaking at the ceremony, Madbouly said the milestone came after "decades during which the dream had remained alive among Egyptians.”

"We used to read in school textbooks that one of the Egyptian state's aspirations was to build a peaceful nuclear power plant in El Dabaa. Years and decades passed until President Abdel Fattah El Sisi turned that dream into reality," he said.

Step Toward Next Phase

Minister of Electricity and Renewable Energy Mahmoud Esmat said the reactor pressure vessel is one of the nuclear reactor's most critical components, housing the reactor core where controlled nuclear reactions take place.

 

He said the vessel was designed and manufactured according to the latest international engineering standards to withstand extreme pressure and temperatures while ensuring the highest levels of operational safety as a key element of the plant's nuclear safety system.

Esmat described the installation as a landmark in the project's implementation, reaffirming Egypt's commitment to its peaceful nuclear program as a pillar of energy security, electricity diversification, and sustainable development.

The project is being built by Russia's State Atomic Energy Corporation (Rosatom) and is owned and will be operated by Egypt's Nuclear Power Plants Authority (NPPA).

During the ceremony, Rosatom’s Likhachev said construction of the plant is progressing on schedule.

 

He noted that the installation of the second unit's reactor pressure vessel came just seven months after the same milestone was achieved for the first unit, reflecting the project's accelerated pace.

President El-Sisi and Russian President Vladimir Putin witnessed the installation of the reactor pressure for the plant’s first unit via video conference in November.

Likhachev said the achievement paves the way for the next stage of construction, including welding of the reactor's main coolant pipeline, adding that work is continuing in line with the highest quality and nuclear safety standards.

The project timeline targets connecting the first reactor unit to Egypt's national electricity grid in 2028, with the remaining three units expected to be connected by 2030, according to Likhachev.

IAEA chief Grossi praised the progress made on the El Dabaa project, reaffirming the agency's support for member states in developing peaceful nuclear energy programs in accordance with the highest nuclear safety and security standards.

He also expressed hope for continued cooperation with Egypt in advancing the peaceful uses of nuclear energy to support sustainable development goals.

 

The prime minister said peaceful nuclear energy represents a strategic option for achieving sustainable development, providing a reliable and stable source of electricity while helping reduce carbon emissions and support efforts to combat climate change.

“After decades during which this dream had lived on in the minds of Egyptians, the political leadership under President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi revived it by signing the intergovernmental agreement with Russia in 2015,” Madbouly said.

That step, he added “marked the beginning of the implementation journey and transforming the vision into successive achievements on the ground.”