• Egypt installs reactor vessel for Unit 1 of El-Dabaa nuclear power plant
  
• Putin and al-Sisi hail milestone as key step in project completion
  
• El-Dabaa to host 4 reactors, marking Africa’s largest nuclear project underway

Egyptian authorities announced on Wednesday that the reactor pressure vessel (RPV) for Unit 1 of the El-Dabaa Nuclear Power Plant has been installed. Rosatom, the Russian company building the facility, described the milestone as the project’s “main achievement of the year.”

A virtual ceremony was held for the installation, attended by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Both leaders highlighted the significance of the step. Putin said the project’s progress “represents a major success,” while al-Sisi called the installation a “decisive step toward completing the plant.”

The reactor vessel houses the core and the controlled nuclear fission reaction. It provides fully sealed containment and is designed to withstand high pressures and temperatures, ensuring safe and reliable operation.

Manufactured by Rosatom’s industrial division, the RPV arrived on site in October and underwent joint inspections by Russian engineers, Egyptian officials, and national regulators before being installed.

Advancing Africa’s Nuclear Energy Ambitions

El-Dabaa is Egypt’s first nuclear power plant and will consist of four VVER-1200 Generation III+ reactors with a combined capacity of 4,800 MW. Contracts that took effect in December 2017 cover full plant construction, lifetime fuel supply from Russia, and operational support during the first ten years. For Egypt, the project forms part of a broader effort to secure electricity supply and diversify an energy mix still dominated by natural gas.

It is currently the largest nuclear power project under construction in Africa. The continent’s only operating plant is Koeberg in South Africa, which recently received a 20-year life extension.

With progress on El-Dabaa, the demonstrated performance of Koeberg, and growing interest in small modular reactor (SMR) technologies among several African countries, nuclear power is increasingly viewed as a viable option for expanding energy access across the continent.

Abdoullah Diop