Egypt has signed an agreement with Russia’s Rosatom to secure the nuclear fuel supply for Unit 1 of the Dabaa Nuclear Power Plant, Al Ahram reported on November 19. Officials said the agreement marks a key milestone as the project moves into core construction phases.

The signing coincided with the installation of the reactor pressure vessel for Unit 1. President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and Russian President Vladimir Putin observed the ceremony via video link as part of Egypt’s annual Nuclear Energy Day commemoration.

Dabaa is Egypt’s first nuclear power plant and will comprise four VVER-1200 third-generation+ reactors with a planned capacity of 4,800MW. Regulatory oversight is provided by the Egyptian Nuclear and Radiological Regulatory Authority (ENRRA). The plant is being developed under the intergovernmental agreement signed between Egypt and Russia in 2015, which sets out responsibilities for construction, fuel supply, operational support and long-term cooperation.

Under the financing framework established in 2015, Rosatom is providing 85% of the project’s funding through a state-backed loan, with Egypt covering the remaining 15%. Egypt began main construction activities in July 2022, when first concrete was poured for Unit 1.

Officials told Al Ahram that the new fuel-supply contract confirms readiness to advance through required safety and quality stages. They said the Dabaa project is intended to diversify Egypt’s future power mix, which remains dominated by natural gas, and to enhance long-term energy security.

A broader cooperation package was also signed, covering nuclear-energy applications, isotope production for cancer treatment, communications technologies and nuclear-related innovations such as 3D-printing techniques.

Once completed, Dabaa will be North Africa’s first nuclear power plant and one of only two nuclear facilities on the continent, alongside South Africa’s Koeberg station.

Officials said the latest agreements support Egypt’s plans to expand its capacity in peaceful nuclear technology and strengthen its infrastructure for long-term development.

Several African countries are pursuing nuclear power development programmes, including Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya and Rwanda, which are at various stages of planning or undertaking feasibility studies for small modular reactors.

The continent hosts several research reactors – in Algeria, Egypt (Inshas) and Ghana – but these facilities are used for training, research and isotope production rather than electricity generation.