New Progress in Containment Construction of Unit 1 at Egypt's El Dabaa Nuclear Power Plant

The Egyptian Nuclear Power Plants Authority announced that the fourth-layer concrete pouring of the containment inside the reactor building of Unit 1 at the El Dabaa Nuclear Power Plant has been completed. This construction milestone raised the reactor building height from 24.4 meters to 34.0 meters above ground level, marking continued progress of Egypt's first nuclear power plant toward the key equipment installation phase.

The pouring operation lasted 30 consecutive hours, utilizing 5 concrete pump trucks with placing booms and pouring approximately 1,608 cubic meters of concrete. During construction, about 80 professionals participated in each of the day and night shifts, with an additional 20 personnel ensuring round-the-clock stable operation of construction equipment and machinery, demonstrating the high-intensity advancement of the project in organizational scheduling and on-site coordination.

Sherif Helmy, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Egyptian Nuclear Power Plants Authority, stated that the successful completion of the fourth-layer pouring of Unit 1 is another strategic step in the project's ongoing progress, reflecting the coordinated cooperation among the owner, operator, and general contractor. Atomstroyexport, the general contractor under Russia's Rosatom, stated that the completion of the fourth-layer inner containment installation is an important milestone in the construction of Unit 1, with the fifth layer scheduled to begin in mid-August, and the structure will subsequently provide support for the polar crane.

Located approximately 320 kilometers northwest of Cairo, the El Dabaa Nuclear Power Plant is Egypt's first nuclear power plant and will also become a major new nuclear project in Africa nearly 40 years after the completion of South Africa's Koeberg Nuclear Power Station. The project is led by Russia's Rosatom and plans to build four VVER-1200 units, a reactor type already in operation at Russia's Leningrad and Novovoronezh nuclear power plants as well as Belarus' Ostrovets Nuclear Power Plant. The VVER-1200 units feature a double-layer inner and outer containment design to enhance protection against external impacts and accident conditions.

Under the contract signed in 2017, Rosatom is responsible not only for the construction of the nuclear power plant but also for supplying Russian nuclear fuel throughout the entire lifecycle, building spent fuel storage facilities, providing storage containers, and assisting Egypt with personnel training and plant maintenance for the first 10 years after commissioning. The four units of the El Dabaa Nuclear Power Plant are progressing almost simultaneously, with Unit 1 having its first concrete pour in July 2022 and Unit 4 completing its first concrete pour in January 2024. Egypt plans to have nuclear power account for approximately 9% of the country's electricity generation by 2030, with the timely commercial operation of the first two units helping to replace some oil and natural gas power generation.