Russia’s Rosatom starts building Egypt’s first nuclear power plant

Africa, Europe, Middle East, News July 23, 2022 , by IRIA No Comments

Russia’s state-owned nuclear energy giant, Rosatom State Nuclear Cooperation has started building Egypt’s first nuclear power plant.

The initial deal for the construction of the nuclear power plant was signed between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi in 2017.

According to the joint statement released by the Egyptian Energy Minister Mohamed Shaker and Rosatom chief Alexey Likhachev, the construction for Egypt’s first nuclear power plant has begun at el-Dabaa, a town 296 kilometers away from Cairo on the north coast of Egypt. Shaker termed the construction of the nuclear power plant as a ‘historic event’ for Egypt that was made possible through Russia-Egypt cooperation, while Likkachev said that Egypt has now ‘joined the nuclear club.’

The nuclear power plant would have at least four 1,200 megawatts reactors and in 2016 it was estimated that the project would cost $25 billion. The current statement does not specify the cost of the project which must have increased at present. The initial plans were to complete the construction by 2028-2029 but the construction work has faced a lot of delays which may push the completion of the project further ahead. The statement from the Egyptian Nuclear Authority also did not specify the date of completion for the project.

Under el-Sisi, the Egyptian administration is working rapidly to increase its energy production capacity. Cairo plans to build more energy-producing power plants as it aims to expand its electricity exports to the Middle Eastern countries. As the host country for the upcoming UN’s COP27 summit on climate change, Egypt is also seeking to shift its power generation capacity toward renewable resources and aims to fulfill the country’s 40% power needs with renewable energy resources by 2030.

Egyptian Energy Minister Mohamed Shaker (R), Russia's Rosatom Chief Alexei Likhachev (L), with Russian President Putin and Egypt's President el-Sisi in the background — *^{Egyptian Energy Minister Mohamed Shaker (R), Russia’s Rosatom Chief Alexei Likhachev (L), with Russian President Putin and Egypt’s President el-Sisi in the background. (Image Credit: Rosatom)}*

This is not the first time that Russia has stepped in to build a power plan in Egypt, the Aswan High Dam was also built with Soviet Support. The 111 meters high and 3.6 kilometers long dam on the Nile River is the country’s largest hydropower project built in the 1960s.

Ties between Egypt and Russia have become stronger in recent times especially since President el-Sisi assumed office in 2014. Although Egypt has not proclaimed its support for Moscow in the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, the country has also not picked any sides and refrained to criticize Russia for its actions in Ukraine.

Egypt also enjoys close ties with the U.S. and European Union. In 2020, Egypt was one of the largest recipients of U.S. military aid, after Israel and Afghanistan. As Europe turns toward the Middle East, seeking alternative energy sources in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Egypt’s role in the regional geopolitical landscape has become more prominent.