El Dabaa Nuclear Plant Installs Reactor Vessel for Second Unit
The milestone advances construction of Egypt's first nuclear power plant on the Mediterranean coast.
Construction of Unit 2 at the El Dabaa Nuclear Power Plant has reached a new milestone with the installation of its reactor pressure vessel, one of the facility's most critical components.
The installation was marked during a ceremony attended by Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi, and Rosatom Director General Alexey Likhachev. The reactor pressure vessel houses the reactor core, where controlled nuclear reactions generate energy.
According to Rosatom, the installation at Unit 2 comes seven months after the same operation was completed for Unit 1. The project will now move into the next stage of construction, including welding the reactor's main coolant pipeline.
Speaking at the ceremony, Madbouly said the project forms part of Egypt's long-term strategy to diversify its energy mix through clean and sustainable energy sources. He added that the plant is expected to strengthen electricity generation capacity while supporting the country's efforts to reduce carbon emissions.
IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi reaffirmed the agency's support for Egypt's peaceful nuclear programme through cooperation on nuclear safety, security and technical assistance.
Located on Egypt's Mediterranean coast, the El Dabaa Nuclear Power Plant will comprise four Russian-designed VVER-1200 Generation III+ reactors, each with a generating capacity of 1,200 megawatts, for a combined output of 4,800 megawatts. It is the country's first nuclear power plant.
