Egypt’s Nuclear Power Plants Authority (NPPA) has announced the delivery to the El Dabaa NPP being built by Rosatom of the steam turbine condenser for the first unit of the plant. The 1,500-tonne condenser was manufactured by Energyen at their Gonsan facility in South Korea. The shipment left Gonsan Port on 3 April, arriving at Dabaa Specialised Port on 2 May. The equipment consists of several components and large parts.
The steam turbine converts the steam leaving the turbine into water (condensate), providing a high-pressure discharge and returning the condensate to the thermal cycle again, ensuring high efficiency. The condenser’s operating mechanism is based on the principle of heat exchange, where cooling water circulates inside special tubes, while steam passes around them to condense on their outer surface, transferring thermal energy and completing the generation cycle.
NPPA said the arrival of this key equipment opens the way for the start of subsequent assembly and installation operations within the turbine building.
The El Dabaa NPP is being developed under a 2015 agreement between Egypt and Russia, with final contracts signed in 2017. The estimated cost stands at $25bn, largely financed through a Russian state loan on concessional terms. Once completed, the facility will comprise four VVER-1200 reactors with a combined capacity of 4,800 MWe. The first unit is currently scheduled to begin operations in 2028, with the remaining units planned to come online by 2030.
While Rosatom (Russia) is the general contractor, South Korea’s Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) and Doosan Enerbility are heavily involved in constructing the turbine islands and supplying associated equipment.
In August 2022, state-run KHNP secured a contract worth approximately $2.25bn with Atomstroyexport (Rosatom’s Engineering Division). KHNP is responsible for constructing some 80 buildings and structures across the plant’s four units and is also tasked with procuring and supplying critical materials for the turbine islands.
KHNP subcontracted a major portion of the work to Doosan Enerbility in November 2022 through a deal valued at $1.2bn Doosan is building 82 structures, including the massive turbine buildings, water treatment facilities, and air conditioning systems and is responsible for preparing the site for the installation of the turbines and generators through 2029. Energyen was subcontracted to supply the steam condensers.
Energyen’s role is part of a broader effort to integrate high-efficiency Arabelle steam turbines (designed by GE) with Russian reactor technology (VVER-1200) and South Korean precision manufacturing. Rosatom’s Mechanical Engineering Division was established in 2007 as a joint venture of Atomenergomash JSC and General Electric. In 2018 it entered into a contract with DEZ JSC (acting on behalf of Atomstroyexport) to supply turbine hall equipment for the four El Dabaa units.
Under the contract the joint venture was responsible for designing, manufacturing and supplying four sets of steam turbines, condensers, generators and select auxiliary equipment, and for technical field advisory services during erection and commissioning of supplied equipment at the NPP site. Over 50% of the equipment is being manufactured in Russia while the Arabelle half-speed steam turbines and Gigatop 4-pole generators are manufactured by General Electric and some components are subcontracted to KHNP.
