Egypt's El Dabaa Nuclear Power Plant Construction Progress Reviewed Jointly by Korea and Egypt

On September 10, 2026, Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) and Egypt's Nuclear Power Plants Authority (NPPA) jointly reviewed the construction progress of the El Dabaa Nuclear Power Plant project and exchanged views on further strengthening project collaboration. Kim Wan-joong, South Korean Ambassador to Egypt, and relevant personnel from Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power attended the meeting.

During the meeting, Sherif·Helmy, Chairman of Egypt's Nuclear Power Plants Authority, was briefed on the implementation of the scope of work undertaken by Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power. The two sides focused on discussions regarding strengthening working-level communication between Korea and Egypt, and coordinating the work arrangements of participating construction units and relevant institutions, so as to ensure the project construction advances as planned.

Helmy stated that Egypt values cooperation with Korea in the nuclear energy field and will make full use of the expertise and project experience of international partners to promote the smooth implementation of the El Dabaa Nuclear Power Plant project. Both sides agreed to maintain communication and coordination to ensure the orderly progress of construction work for which Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power is responsible.

Aerial view of Egypt's El Dabaa Nuclear Power Plant. [Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power]

The El Dabaa Nuclear Power Plant is located on Egypt's Mediterranean coast, approximately 300 kilometers northwest of the capital Cairo. It is planned to build 4 nuclear power units with a single-unit capacity of 1,200 megawatts, with a total installed capacity of 4,800 megawatts. The general contractor for the project is Atomstroyexport, a subsidiary of Russia's State Atomic Energy Corporation Rosatom.

Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power signed a contract with Atomstroyexport in 2022, with a contract value of approximately US$2.25 billion, responsible for the construction of the turbine halls and related facilities for the 4 units of the El Dabaa Nuclear Power Plant. According to the plan, Unit 1 of the El Dabaa Nuclear Power Plant will be connected to Egypt's power grid in 2028, and the remaining 3 units are expected to be put into operation successively before 2030.

Recently, the Egyptian government is also studying the expansion of the El Dabaa Nuclear Power Plant from 4 units to 6 units, i.e., adding 2 additional units. However, it is currently unclear whether this meeting involved specific discussions on Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power's participation in subsequent nuclear power projects or the signing of new contracts.