According to Russia Today (RT), Today 9, Egypt is preparing to install the core of the first nuclear reactor at the Dabaa nuclear plant on October 6. Ali Abdel Nabi, a former deputy director of Egypt’s Nuclear Power Plants Authority, claimed that the concrete construction work in the Dabaa nuclear project did not stop for one second, as it is proceeding on schedule.
Abdel Nabi continued, in a statement, “The first concrete pour for the project’s three nuclear units has been completed. And it is anticipated that the first concrete pour for the project’s fourth nuclear unit would be laid during next November.”
He noted that the reactor core trap for the first nuclear unit in the Dabaa nuclear project will be placed in its proper place underneath the reactor pressure vessel, during upcoming October celebrations. The Egyptian Nuclear and Radiological Regulatory Authority granted the plant’s site approval permit in March 2019. And the first unit’s construction permit was granted in June 2022.
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Capacity of El Dabaa nuclear plant
The plant will consist of four VVER-1200 nuclear reactors of AES-2206 design, with a combined capacity of 4.8GW. Which could make up as much as 50% of Egypt’s potential for power production. The El Dabaa nuclear power plant project is based on agreements between NPPA and Rosatom, the Russian government’s nuclear company, which went into effect on December 11, 2017. El Dabaa is located around 320 kilometers northwest of Cairo.
According to the agreement, Rosatom will not only build the plant but will also provide Russian nuclear fuel for it over its whole existence. For the first ten years of the plant’s operation, they will also help their Egyptian partners with personnel training and plant maintenance. The first unit’s commissioning is anticipated to start in 2026. And by 2030, all four units will be operational and the facility would be running at full capacity. The project is anticipated to strengthen the economy and industrial growth of the nation by generating up to 50,000 jobs.
