Cairo – Egypt is on the cusp of a historic milestone in its energy sector, preparing to install the core of its first nuclear power plant at el Dabaa. The 331-ton reactor pressure vessel, a key component built in Russia, is scheduled for placement on November 19th, coinciding with Egypt’s Nuclear Energy Day and a planned video conference with the leaders of both nations. This installation marks a critical transition from construction to mechanical completion of the plant, a project intended to bolster Egypt’s energy independence and reduce its carbon footprint.
Egypt is set to begin installing the reactor pressure vessel for the first unit at the El Dabaa nuclear power plant on November 19, coinciding with the country’s fifth Nuclear Energy Day. The installation will be observed alongside a video conference with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi.
The milestone comes after the reactor pressure vessel for Unit 1 arrived at the specialized port of El Dabaa on October 21. Intensive technical and logistical preparations are currently underway inside the reactor building to ensure the installation meets the highest standards of quality and nuclear safety.
According to Dr. Amged El-Wakeel, a board member of the Nuclear Projects Supervisory Authority, recent preparations included completing the installation of the main structural components within the reactor building. These components include the Support Ring, which will bear the full weight of the pressure vessel and ensure its stability during operation, and the Supporting Truss, which forms the primary base for supporting the vessel and distributing loads to the concrete structure.
“The installation of the reactor pressure vessel for Unit 1 represents a major turning point in the implementation of the El Dabaa nuclear project,” El-Wakeel said. “It moves us from the stage of civil works to the stage of precise mechanical installation.”
Final inspections and preparations are being carried out ahead of the lifting and installation process, which will utilize a specialized crane with a lifting capacity of up to 2,000 tons. This is to ensure high precision in placing the component within its designated location inside the reactor building.
El-Wakeel explained that installing the reactor pressure vessel is a pivotal step in the project’s execution, marking the transition from civil engineering to the mechanical installation of key nuclear components. This reflects the significant progress Egypt has made in building its first nuclear power plant in El Dabaa, in cooperation with the Russian company Rosatom.
He affirmed that this new achievement embodies the depth of Egyptian-Russian cooperation in implementing the project and reflects a full commitment to nuclear safety standards and global quality, marking a turning point in Egypt’s journey toward entering the era of peaceful nuclear energy as a pillar of sustainable development and national energy security.
The pressure vessel, a core component of the VVER-1200 reactor – a Generation III+ design known for its high safety standards – weighs approximately 331 tons, stands 11.18 meters tall, and has an outer diameter of 4.57 meters. Its walls are approximately 30 centimeters thick and made of high-resistance steel.
The pressure vessel contains the actual heart of the nuclear reactor, including the nuclear fuel, control elements, and the core where the chain fission reactions take place. It also works to contain and regulate pressure and temperature within the system and serves as the primary safety barrier protecting the environment and workers from nuclear radiation, making it one of the most rigorously inspected and tested components of the reactor.
According to El-Wakeel, the vessel underwent stringent testing during its manufacturing process, including hydraulic tests, ultrasonic tests, and metallurgical analyses to ensure the quality of the materials and their resistance to pressure and thermal stress.
