Assembly of the fifth tier of the internal containment shell (VZO – Vnutrennei Zatsitnoi Obolochki) for unit one of the El Dabaa NPP, under construction in Egypt, has been completed.
The fifth tier consists of 12 petal components, which, after the assembly process is completed, form a single ring. The team of specialists managed to complete this technological process ahead of schedule.
This marks the end of production of the cylindrical part of the VZO. The next stage is the assembly of the dome part, which includes elements known as the skirt and skullcap.
Meanwhile, at El Dabaa unit 3, workers have completed concreting the lower foundation slab (NFP – Nizhnei Fundamentnoi Pliti) of the reactor building. The NFP is a monolithic reinforced concrete structure that serves as the basis for the reactor and its biological protection. The thickness of the slab is 3.5 metres along the outer radius and 1.5 metres along the inner radius, and its total area is 2,324 quare metres.
The concreting process took place in four stages, in each of which up to 150 specialists participated. The scale is impressive involving installation of more than 2,000 tonnes of reinforcement and the laying of 7,000 cubic metres of concrete. Future work includes installing a protective sealed lining, as well as the internal and external containment.
El Dabaa NPP will comprise four units with Generation III+ VVER-1200 pressurised water reactors. The NPP is being constructed in accordance with contracts that entered into force in 2017. The $30bn project is mainly financed through a $25bn Russian loan. Rosatom will supply nuclear fuel throughout the lifecycle of the plant, arrange for the training of the Egyptian personnel, and assist in the operation and maintenance of the plant for the first 10 years. The reference plant is the Leningrad-II NPP. Construction of all four units is planned for completion by 2028-2029, and Egypt expects that the NPP will reach full capacity by 2030.
