A report alleging "severe construction defects" in the reactors of the El Dabaa nuclear power plant, currently under construction on Egypt's northern coast, has sparked significant controversy among Egypt, the Russian contractor, and media outlets.
Citing confidential letters and internal documents, the US digital news outlet Politico reported that Egypt's Nuclear Power Plants Authority (NPPA) accused the Russian state corporation Rosatom of safety protocol violations and major engineering flaws.
According to the Politico report, gaps were discovered behind the steel lining of Reactor No. 4, while defects were identified in the foundation slabs of the remaining reactors, repairs for which reportedly took nearly a year.
Furthermore, the report claims Rosatom utilized misleading methods to certify that over half of the construction was complete, with internal documents indicating that the operational timeline for the first reactor could be delayed by up to 18 months.
In response, Egypt's NPPA rejected the findings, stating that the Politico coverage presented an inaccurate and unbalanced picture of the project. In a statement issued on August 17, 2026, the authority emphasized that technical observations and subsequent corrective measures are a standard part of executing projects of such magnitude and complexity. It affirmed that construction adheres strictly to international nuclear safety standards under the oversight of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
Rosatom similarly dismissed the allegations, asserting that the claims in the cited letters were unverified by official contractual or technical procedures, while nuclear safety experts noted that since the plant is still under construction and uncommissioned, there is no risk of radiation.
The $28.5 billion El Dabaa project—funded largely by a $25 billion loan from the Russian government—is designed to house four Russian-designed VVER-1200 reactors with a total capacity of 4,800 megawatts. Notably, Rosatom is also slated to build Ethiopia’s planned nuclear power plant using the same VVER-1200 reactor model.
Ethiopian Electric Power signed an action plan with Rosatom in Moscow in September 2025 for the decade-long project, with Ethiopian energy officials confirming that site selection for the facility is already underway.
