On Monday, well-informed sources at the Egyptian Ministry of Electricity and Renewable Energy revealed that the country is set to receive its second piece of nuclear equipment from Russia, designed for the El Dabaa nuclear project, in the first quarter of next year.
On March 21, Egypt received the reactor core catcher, the first major long-term nuclear equipment for the El Dabaa project, which is responsible for protecting the reactor from any potential meltdown or nuclear fuel leakage.
Local media reports stated that the next piece of nuclear equipment scheduled for delivery is the pressure vessel. Rosatom, the Russian company serving as the main executor of the project, has already commenced its manufacturing for the El Dabaa nuclear initiative.
The manufacturing of the pressure vessel began in April 2022, with the manufacturing of turbines for the first and second units also in progress at Rosatom’s factories.
The sources added that various tests and examinations of supplementary parts of the reactor core catcher for the first nuclear unit are ongoing, paving the way for installation work.
In partnership with Atomstroyexport and local entities, Rosatom is currently proceeding with further concrete casting work for the third reactor, especially following the inauguration of the first casting for the reactor earlier this May.
On November 19, 2015, Egypt and Russia signed a joint cooperation agreement to construct a nuclear power station in El Dabaa, with an investment cost reaching $25 billion.
The final agreements for the construction of the El Dabaa station were signed during Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to Cairo in December 2017 by both President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Putin.
The El Dabaa station will comprise four nuclear reactors with a total capacity of 4800 megawatts, each contributing 1200 megawatts. The reactors will belong to Generation III+ (pressurized water reactors), with the first reactor set to be operational by 2028, constructed by Rosatom.
