Egypt’s Ministry of Electricity and Renewable Energy is weighing plans to add small modular nuclear units with a combined capacity of 600 to 900 megawatts to the El-Dabaa nuclear power plant, aiming to curtail reliance on natural gas and save between 1 billion and 1.5 billion cubic metres of gas annually, a ministry source told Al Manassa.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, the source said the ministry is examining two scenarios: installing either two or three 300-megawatt units.
Deciding between the options hinges on national electricity grid requirements over the coming years, the network’s capacity to absorb new generation units, financing and construction costs, technology selection, and nuclear safety and licensing requirements.
The proposed units would expand El-Dabaa’s planned 4,800 MW baseline capacity by roughly 12.5% to 18.75%, the source added. Four 1,200 MW reactors are currently under construction at the site.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) defines reactors generating up to 300 MW as small modular reactors (SMRs), which allow countries to scale nuclear power incrementally according to grid requirements.
The ministry will outline the expansion plan and estimate construction costs during the 2026–2027 fiscal year, with negotiations with Russia set to cover specific reactor options, according to the source. Commercial output would begin after 2030.
Electricity minister Mahmoud Esmat met Rosatom Director-General Alexey Likhachev in August to discuss cooperation on small modular reactors alongside ongoing developments at El-Dabaa.
The head of the Russian state nuclear corporation stated in July that Cairo and Rosatom were exploring the construction of additional nuclear units at El Dabaa alongside SMR cooperation.
Work on the plant’s four primary reactors continues concurrently. Under the official timetable, Unit 1 is scheduled to enter service in 2028, with subsequent units phased in until full commercial operation by 2030.
The source said the proposed expansion fits into the ministry’s strategy to diversify Egypt’s energy mix and curb fossil fuel consumption in electricity generation, particularly natural gas.
Installing extra nuclear capacity could displace gas-fired generation, preserving 1–1.5 billion cubic meters of fuel every year.
Nuclear power provides round-the-clock baseload generation, complementing intermittent renewable sources such as wind and solar that fluctuate with daylight and weather conditions.
Last month, the El-Dabaa project drew scrutiny regarding construction quality and site safety following a report by US news outlet Politico.
Citing internal documents, the report highlighted engineering and security concerns at the installation site, including concrete defects and remediation delays.
Politico also flagged an estimated 18-month delay to the commissioning of Unit 1 beyond the public schedule, citing a draft internal Rosatom audit.
Egypt’s Nuclear Power Plants Authority rejected the report as “inaccurate and unbalanced,” stating that technical observations and non-conformities remain common in infrastructure projects of this magnitude.
The authority added that it approves no construction work without prior corrective measures and testing supervised by the Egyptian Nuclear and Radiological Regulatory Authority. Rosatom likewise denied the safety allegations, maintaining that it applies the highest nuclear safety standards at the facility.
