Egypt Readies El-Dabaa for Nuclear Fuel in 2027 as the 4,800 Megawatt Plant Stays on Schedule
Egypt’s Minister of Electricity and Renewable Energy Mahmoud Esmat met Andrey Petrov, first deputy director general of Rosatom and head of Atomstroyexport, on 26 September to review preparations for receiving nuclear fuel for the El-Dabaa nuclear power plant in 2027, the State Information Service reported. Esmat said the project is proceeding according to its planned schedule. The plant’s 4 VVER-1200 units of 1,200 megawatts each give it 4,800 megawatts, equal to 8.0 percent of Egypt’s installed generating capacity of 59,694 megawatts in fiscal year 2023/24, on our calculation.
From fuel to the grid
The meeting at the ministry in the New Capital, attended by Nuclear Power Plants Authority chairman Sherif Helmy, covered construction progress against the agreed timetable, the manufacturing of equipment including the turbines, training, and preparations to connect its output to the national grid. Rosatom’s director general Alexey Likhachev said in July that the first unit is due to be connected to the grid in 2028, with the remaining 3 units following in sequence by 2030. The reactor pressure vessel of Unit 2 was installed on 9 July, 7 months after that of Unit 1. The vessel weighs 330 tonnes and has a service life of 60 years, which can be extended to 80.
What 4,800 megawatts means for the grid
| Measure | Megawatts | Full plant as share | First unit as share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Installed capacity, FY2023/24 | 59,694 | 8.0% | 2.0% |
| Peak load, FY2023/24 | 36,800 | 13.0% | 3.3% |
The full plant is 4,800 megawatts and the first unit 1,200 megawatts. Installed capacity, which includes 156.4 megawatts of units off the national grid, and peak load are Egyptian Electricity Holding Company figures for fiscal year 2023/24 published by the Ministry of Electricity and Renewable Energy. Shares on our calculation.
The plant’s full capacity equals 13.0 percent of the peak load of 36,800 megawatts recorded in fiscal year 2023/24, on our calculation. Esmat has set a target for renewables to reach 45 percent of the energy mix by 2028, and nuclear power sits in the same strategy of diversifying generation and reducing fossil fuel use.
Why it matters: El-Dabaa adds 4,800 megawatts of nuclear capacity to a system that needs to meet growing demand while reducing fossil fuel use, and its first unit is due in the same year as the 45 percent renewables target.
Outlook: Fuel deliveries in 2027 are the next milestone, followed by the first grid connection in 2028 and the full 4,800 megawatts by 2030.
Sources: State Information Service, Ministry of Electricity and Renewable Energy.
