Construction of the fourth power unit at the Ed-Dabaa nuclear power plant in Egypt is set to begin on January 23. Nikolai Vikhansky, the vice president of capital construction at Atomstroyexport, confirmed this timetable, noting that the team is coordinating closely with Egyptian authorities to keep the schedule tight and efficient. The announcement, reported by TASS, marks a milestone in a project that has drawn international attention for its scale and strategic importance in the region.
Ed-Dabaa stands as Egypt’s first nuclear power facility, located about 300 kilometers northwest of Cairo. The ongoing collaboration with Russia, under a bilateral agreement, entrusts Rosatom with the construction responsibilities. The project is designed to diversify the country’s energy mix, aiming to provide a stable, low-emission source of electricity that can support both urban growth and industrial development across Egypt in the coming decades. The partnership with Rosatom brings extensive experience from multiple nuclear programs worldwide to a complex installation with careful oversight and rigorous safety standards.
Vikhansky described the Ed-Dabaa project as unique in its scale and rhythm. Four power units are being advanced in near parallel timelines, with construction phases sequenced so the transition from one stage to the next happens roughly every six months. This accelerated cadence requires precise logistics, advanced project management, and meticulous quality control to ensure that each unit reaches critical milestones without compromising safety or regulatory compliance. The strategic choice to progress on multiple units simultaneously reflects a concerted effort to maximize the initiative’s impact and shorten the path to commercial operation.
In a recent briefing, Vikhansky noted that last year the project team completed the first two concrete pour tests for blocks No. 2 and No. 3. With those tests behind them, the team was prepared to initiate the first concrete work on the fourth block, an event that will officially commence on January 23. The readiness signals a strong level of discipline and readiness across the construction workforce, underscored by the continuous testing and verification that accompany each stage of building a nuclear power facility of this magnitude.
On January 19, Kremlin press secretary Dmitry Peskov shared that Russian President Vladimir Putin plans to attend the ceremony marking the pouring of the first concrete for the Ed-Dabaa fourth unit. The president’s participation underscores the high level of political and diplomatic engagement that accompanies this project, a fact emphasized by the head of state’s representative as a sign of significance for both Moscow and Cairo. The event is anticipated to reinforce the bilateral partnership and signal confidence in the long-term reliability and safety of the project as it progresses toward completion.
In a broader context, authorities have linked the Ed-Dabaa venture with ongoing international energy and nuclear safety dialogues. The broader regional energy strategy includes considerations of grid integration, safety culture, emergency preparedness, and technology transfer that align with international standards. While the focus remains on constructing a safe and reliable plant, observers also note the project’s potential to shape regional energy security, industrial capacity, and research opportunities within Egypt. The International Atomic Energy Agency continues to monitor related developments, even as the Zaporizhzhia reactor was reported to be placed into cold shutdown mode, a move that highlights ongoing global conversations about reactor safety, regulatory oversight, and the management of legacy operations in the nuclear sector.