Egypt Advances Construction at El Dabaa Nuclear Power Plant with Fifth Containment Tier

Construction on the first unit of Egypt’s El Dabaa nuclear power plant has reached a new milestone with the installation of the fifth tier of the reactor building's inner containment, announced the Nuclear Power Plants Authority (NPPA) on Saturday.

The inner containment structure is a cylindrical enclosure designed to house the nuclear reactor and equipment associated with the plant’s primary circuit. The fifth level is comprised of 12 prefabricated sections built directly at the El Dabaa nuclear power plant site. Each section stands 7.5 meters tall and weighs between 40 and 45 tons, depending on its specific structural components, according to the authority.

Officials expect the installation of this fifth tier to finish within two weeks. Once completed, the sections will be joined to form a fully circular ring for the inner containment structure. Crews are utilizing a heavy-duty crane with a lifting capacity of 2,200 tons to execute the heavy lifts, managed by a team of experienced specialists operating under stringent international quality and safety benchmarks.

The operations undergo thorough inspections and testing by NPPA monitoring and supervision teams. These measures follow all regulatory procedures and requirements established by the Egyptian Nuclear and Radiological Regulatory Authority to guarantee maximum safety, security, and quality during the installation phase.

NPPA Chairman Sherif Helmy noted that launching the fifth tier's installation highlights ongoing collaboration, close coordination, and successful teamwork with Russian partner Atomstroyexport. He emphasized the joint commitment to maintaining top-tier standards of quality, safety, and nuclear security throughout the entire project.

“The progress achieved at the El Dabaa nuclear power plant was the result of the professional and dedicated work of NPPA monitoring and supervision teams, as well as installation, engineering and design teams from the project’s Russian general contractor, Atomstroyexport, ensuring the highest levels of quality and safety,” Helmy stated.

Alexey Kononenko, Vice President of AtomStroyexport and Director of the Dabaa Construction Project, described the start of the fifth-level installation as a major construction milestone for the first unit. He attributed the structural progress to the hard work of workers, technicians, supervisors, engineers, designers, and specialists across various fields, alongside strong cooperation with the Egyptian project owner.