Egypt’s inaugural nuclear power plant, El Dabaa, is forging ahead with construction. Notable advancements include the arrival of a core catcher for Unit 3, a massive 2,000-tonne capacity crane, and the completion of 75% of the blanks required for Unit 1’s reactor equipment, as reported by Rosatom.
Egypt’s First Nuclear Power Plant
El Dabaa, situated approximately 320 kilometers northwest of Cairo, will be Egypt’s first nuclear power plant and the first in Africa since South Africa’s Koeberg was constructed nearly four decades ago.
The project, led by Rosatom, will consist of four VVER-1200 units, similar to those operating in Russia (Leningrad and Novovoronezh) and Belarus (Ostrovets).
Concurrent Construction Progress
The four units are being constructed in a near-simultaneous manner, with the first concrete poured for Unit 1 in July 2022, followed by subsequent units, culminating in Unit 4’s first concrete in January of this year.
Unit 1’s inner containment’s first tier was finished in May. Rosatom’s AEM-Spetsstal machine-building division has now manufactured and delivered over 650 tonnes of metallurgical blanks to its industrial sites in Volgodonsk, Petrozavodsk, and St. Petersburg.
These blanks will be utilized in the production of crucial equipment, including the reactor vessel and main circulation pipelines.
Stringent Quality Control Measures
Rosatom emphasizes that AEM-Spetsstal “oversees all critical operations in this phase: steelmaking, forging and pressing, heat treatment, and mechanical processing.
The blanks undergo multiple levels of rigorous testing to ensure the metal properties meet specified parameters, determining the necessary level of reliability and safety for the equipment they will be used to manufacture.”
Another division of Rosatom, Petrozavodskmash, has initiated the welding of pipes for Unit 1’s main circulation pipeline, which will ultimately weigh 276 tonnes.
Giant Crane and Core Catcher Delivered
Amged El-Wakeel, chairman of Egypt’s Nuclear Power Plants Authority (NPPA), announced the arrival of the “giant winch” crane on July 2nd.
This crane boasts a maximum height of 156 meters and can lift up to 2,000 tonnes. It was transported in sections from Alexandria port to the El Dabaa site for assembly.
A day earlier, the core catcher for Unit 3 arrived at El Dabaa from Russia by sea. The three main components of the reactor core trap had a combined weight of 480 tonnes. El-Wakeel stated that the new crane’s initial task will be to hoist the core catcher into place for Unit 3, potentially in October.
Core Catcher’s Crucial Safety Role
The 6.1-meter diameter core catcher is a vital component of the VVER-1200 reactor’s passive safety system. In an emergency, it securely contains fragments of the molten core, preventing their release outside the reactor building containment.
Under the 2017 contracts, Rosatom will not only construct the plant but will also provide Russian nuclear fuel throughout its operational life.
Additionally, Rosatom will assist Egyptian partners in personnel training and plant maintenance for the first ten years of operation. The company is also contracted to build a dedicated storage facility and supply containers for spent nuclear fuel. Construction of the nuclear power plant commenced in July 2022.