El-Sisi, Putin witness installation of first reactor pressure vessel at El Dabaa nuclear power plant

CAIRO – 19 November 2025: President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and Russian President Vladimir Putin took part via video conference 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 milestone coincides with Egypt’s Fifth Nuclear Energy Day, celebrated annually on November 19, representing a key stage in the construction of Egypt’s first nuclear power facility, which aims to generate electricity safely and sustainably.

The reactor pressure vessel is a central safety component of any nuclear plant, containing the nuclear fuel and coolant and providing a robust barrier designed to withstand high temperatures, pressure, and other operational stresses.

Situated in northern Egypt, El Dabaa plant, the country’s first NPP, is being developed by the Russian State Atomic Energy Corporation (Rosatom) and operated by Egypt’s Nuclear Power Plants Authority (NPPA).

It will feature four Generation III+ VVER‑1200 reactors with a combined capacity of 4.8 gigawatts, contributing significantly to Egypt’s energy mix and supporting the country’s transition to clean power.

The El Dabaa NPP represents the largest project in Russian-Egyptian cooperation since the construction of the Aswan High Dam, highlighting the deepening strategic partnership between the two countries in the energy sector.