Egypt's Nuclear Power Plants Authority (NPPA) has successfully installed the reactor pit's lower plate at the third unit of the El-Dabaa Nuclear Power Plant. This marks another step in the reactor pressure vessel's installation. The NPPA said the installation was carried out in coordination with Atomstroyexport, the Russian general contractor. The lower plate is a key component of the reactor pit for the Russian-designed Generation III+ VVER-1200 pressurised water reactors being built at El-Dabaa.
The lower plate of the reactor pit at the third unit of the El-Dabaa Nuclear Power Plant weighs about 13.85 tonnes and has a diameter of 5,465 millimetres and a length of 3,820 millimetres. It was manufactured to stringent specifications and is designed to fit inside the dry shielding, which has an internal diameter of 5,650 millimetres, with precisely calculated clearances. The lower plate links the reactor pit structures to the reactor pressure vessel and helps ensure that the vessel is precisely aligned along its vertical axis.
The installation of the lower plate follows the completion of the dry shielding installation in August and is one of the final preparatory steps before the reactor pressure vessel is installed in its designated position. NPPA teams overseeing and inspecting the construction work carried out the installation. The work is being carried out under the regulatory oversight of the Egyptian Nuclear and Radiological Regulatory Authority, whose inspectors are permanently stationed at the El-Dabaa site.
The latest work clears the way for the installation of the Unit 3 reactor pressure vessel. The vessel is about 13 metres long, 4.5 metres in diameter and weighs 320 tonnes. The El-Dabaa Nuclear Power Plant, Egypt's first nuclear power plant, is being built on the Mediterranean coast in Matrouh Governorate. It will have four Generation III+ VVER-1200 reactors, each with a gross capacity of about 1,200 megawatts, giving the plant a combined capacity of 4,800 megawatts.
Construction began on Unit 1 in July 2022, followed by Unit 2 in November 2022, Unit 3 in May 2023 and Unit 4 in January 2024. All four units are now under construction. Rosatom is building the plant under a November 2015 agreement between Egypt and Russia. The agreement covers the construction and operation of the four reactors, the supply of nuclear fuel, spent-fuel management and the training of Egyptian personnel.
The NPPA said the milestone keeps Unit 3 on schedule and in line with required quality and safety standards, bringing the reactor closer to installation of its pressure vessel. The authority said that major works inside the reactor pit have included installing the core catcher, concreting the supporting and anchoring structures, installing the dry shielding and the reactor vessel's cylindrical thermal insulation, and fitting the support ring that carries most of the vessel's weight.
The El-Dabaa Nuclear Power Plant is a significant project for Egypt's energy sector. Egypt and Russia review El Dabaa preparations for nuclear fuel delivery next year. The plant will provide a significant boost to Egypt's power generation capacity and help meet the country's growing energy needs.
Key points
- The El-Dabaa Nuclear Power Plant will have a combined capacity of 4,800 megawatts.
- The plant is being built under a November 2015 agreement between Egypt and Russia.
- The installation of the lower plate marks another step in the reactor pressure vessel's installation.
