Egypt signs new nuclear agreement with Russia

Egypt’s Minister of Electricity and Renewable Energy, Mahmoud Essmat, has announced that Egypt and Russia signed a new agreement on Wednesday that includes, among other areas, the manufacturing of small, mobile nuclear reactors.

In a televised interview on Wednesday evening, Essmat said that these floating reactors can be transported to remote areas that are not connected to the national grid, where they would generate electricity and operate a small local network. 

He added that the new agreements include several activities aimed at transferring technology and expertise to Egypt, as well as cooperation on advanced engineering technologies used in 3D manufacturing. He confirmed that Russia is showing broad openness to providing technological services in various fields, including batteries and energy-storage systems.

He noted that the state’s Arab Organisation for Industrialisation is taking part in localising some components of the nuclear industry in Egypt. Work is currently underway to manufacture the generators for the plant, and all components are expected to be completed before 2027. The initial operation of the units will be carried out by Russian specialists before the handover of operations to Egyptian engineers.

Essmat said that electricity produced from the Dabaa nuclear plant will account for 12 per cent of Egypt’s power capacity. The plant will also save eight billion cubic metres of gas and help cut carbon dioxide emissions by 16 million tonnes.

He stressed that the plant will support stable electricity supply, without being affected by fluctuations in renewable energy sources or fossil-fuel-based generation.

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