CAIRO, October 6. /TASS/. The installation of the first nuclear equipment (core melt localization device) has begun at the first power unit of the El-Dabaa nuclear power plant, which is being built in Egypt in coordination with Rosatom, the NPP's authority said on its website.
The ceremony commemorating the start of installation work was opened by the chairman of the department Amged El-Wakeel. The Egyptian side timed the ceremony to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the start of the war with Israel in 1973, widely considered to be a victory for the Arab world.
"It is important that the installation of the melt trap for the first power unit at the El-Dabaa Nuclear Power Plant coincides with this great day, a day of pride and dignity," El-Wakeel said.
The official noted that during 14 months five important stages of the project were implemented: concrete placement at the first power unit in July 2022, concrete placement at the second power unit in November of 2022, delivery of first parts of the "melt trap" in March of this year, concrete placement for the third power unit in May, and now - installation of the first long-term equipment.
He added that by the end of the year "the first concrete will be poured at the fourth power unit."
According to the Egyptian department, the today ceremony was attended by the management of the engineering division of the state corporation Rosatom - Atomstroyexport JSC, which is the contractor of the project.
The first nuclear equipment arrived from Russia to Egypt in March.
Melt localization devices are part of all modern nuclear power units with Generation III+ VVER-1200 reactors. This is a unique invention of Russian nuclear scientists, which ensures safety for the environment and people under any scenarios of nuclear power plant operation.
El Dabaa will be the first nuclear power plant in Egypt and Rosatom’s first major project in Africa. It is being built in the city of El Dabaa in the Governorate of Matrouh on the Mediterranean Sea coastline. The El Dabaa NPP will comprise four units, each having a capacity of 1200 MW and equipped with a Generation III+ VVER-1200 reactor (pressurized water reactor). This is the most advanced technology to date and it has already been successfully implemented and operated in Russia and abroad, Rosatom said. Egypt expects that the NPP will operate at full capacity by 2030.