Egypt announced on Wednesday that the reactor pressure vessel (RPV) for Unit 1 of the El-Dabaa Nuclear Power Plant has been successfully installed.
Rosatom, the Russian firm constructing the facility, described the installation as the project’s “main achievement of the year.”
A virtual ceremony was held to mark the milestone, attended by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Russian President Vladimir Putin, as seen on Ecofin Agency.
Both leaders underscored the importance of the development. Putin said the project’s progress “represents a major success,” while al-Sisi called the installation a “decisive step toward completing the plant.”
The reactor pressure vessel is a critical component that houses the nuclear core and the controlled fission reaction.
It provides a sealed containment system designed to endure extreme pressures and temperatures, ensuring the plant’s safe and stable operation.
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The RPV, manufactured by Rosatom’s industrial arm, arrived in Egypt in October. It was installed after joint inspections carried out by Russian engineers, Egyptian authorities, and national regulatory bodies.
El-Dabaa is Egypt’s first nuclear power station and will feature four VVER-1200 Generation III+ reactors with a total capacity of 4,800 MW.
Contracts activated in December 2017 cover full construction of the plant, lifetime fuel supply from Russia, and operational support during its first decade.
For Egypt, the project is part of a broader strategy to secure long-term electricity supply and diversify an energy mix still largely dependent on natural gas.
The plant is currently the largest nuclear project under construction on the African continent. Africa’s only operating nuclear facility, Koeberg in South Africa, recently received a 20-year life extension.
With El-Dabaa moving forward, Koeberg demonstrating continued performance, and increasing interest in small modular reactor (SMR) technologies across several African nations, nuclear power is gaining traction as a practical pathway to expanding energy access across the continent.
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Image Credit: Energy & Utilities
