South Korea shields Russia’s nuclear project with Egypt against actions from the US and other Western states

Per the sources, South Korean participation has provided Egypt with access to technology and expertise from a country that is closely integrated with Western supply chains, while also reducing the exposure of project participants to US and European sanctions imposed on Russian businesses following the invasion of Ukraine.

The project, which was launched in 2015 between Egypt and Russia’s state-owned nuclear company Rosatom, drew in increased South Korean interest as soon as Russia initiated a war against Ukraine in 2022.

South Korea is expected to provide financial and technical support for any future growth, in addition to its current obligations at El Dabaa, as seen on The New Arab.

According to Egyptian officials, South Korean businesses also assumed tasks previously held by US-based General Electric after the company’s engagement was halted following the commencement of the Ukraine war.

The project’s structure permits Russia to retain responsibility for the plant’s nuclear technology, while South Korean corporations manage substantial sections of the conventional electricity-generation infrastructure.

As presently constituted, South Korean enterprises are active in control systems and turbine-related components.

Under a contract for around $1.15 billion, South Korea’s Doosan Enerbility is now in charge of a section of the turbine work, which includes structures and equipment related to turbines, generators, cooling systems, and water treatment.

However, Russia continued to be El Dabaa’s general contractor and nuclear technology provider.

Egyptian Electricity and Renewable Energy Minister Mahmoud Esmat announced that the government is considering adding at least two reactors to the Russian-designed complex. El Dabaa’s long-term plan might include six or eight reactors, up from the initial four.

According to officials at Egypt’s Ministry of Electricity and Energy, the potential of extending the project demonstrates increased trust in its progress following South Korea’s cooperation alongside Rosatom.

El Dabaa is currently scheduled to house four VVER-1200 reactors provided by Russia, giving the project a total generating capacity of 4.8 GW.

If the projected extension goes forward, the facility’s capacity may eventually reach 9.6 gigawatts, with the new reactors coming online by 2040.

The construction would greatly enhance Egypt’s nuclear power capacity, bolstering the country’s aim to diversify its energy mix while lowering reliance on fossil fuels.

The El Dabaa nuclear project is Egypt and Russia’s top joint energy venture, based on a series of intergovernmental agreements signed over the previous decade.

In 2015, the two nations secured a deal for Russia’s national nuclear company, Rosatom, to construct a $30 billion nuclear power plant in El Dabaa, west of Alexandria.

It is also projected to generate more than 10% of the North African country’s electricity demands and power nearly 20 million people, making it a crucial part of the country’s long-term energy plan.

Once completed, the El Dabaa plant would house four reactors with a total capacity of 4,800 megawatts, considerably increasing Egypt’s power generation capacity and assisting the country’s transition to a more diverse energy mix.

Egypt and Russia expanded their ties by signing further nuclear cooperation agreements in 2017, during President Vladimir Putin’s visit to Cairo.

These included plans to construct a nuclear fuel storage facility that would thereafter be reprocessed in Russia.