The El Dabaa nuclear power plant project in Egypt has reached an important milestone with the start of the main construction phase of Unit 3, marked by the pouring of the first concrete for the foundation slab. This step follows the issuance of a construction license by the Egyptian Nuclear and Radiological Regulatory Authority (ENRRA) on March 29.
Collaboration between NPPA and Rosatom
The El Dabaa nuclear power plant project is located about 320 kilometers northwest of Cairo and is based on contracts between the Nuclear Power Plants Authority (NPPA) and Russia’s state-owned nuclear corporation Rosatom, which came into effect on December 11, 2017. The plant will consist of four VVER-1200 units, similar to those already in operation at the Leningrad and Novovoronezh power plants in Russia, as well as at the Ostrovets power plant in Belarus.
The contracts stipulate that Rosatom will not only build the plant, but will also supply Russian nuclear fuel for its entire life cycle. They will also help the Egyptian partners to train staff and maintain the plant for the first ten years of its operation.
Rosatom is also building a special storage warehouse
Rosatom is also responsible for building a special storage warehouse and providing containers for storing used nuclear fuel. Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power builds 80 buildings and supplies materials for non-nuclear turbine islands.
NPPA applied for construction licenses for units 3 and 4 from the Egyptian Nuclear and Radiation Regulatory Authority in January 2022, six months after applying for those for units 1 and 2. Construction of Unit 1 began in July of last year, followed by Unit 2 in November.
