Rosatom Automated Control Systems (RASU – Rosatom Avtomatizirovannii Sistemi Upravleniya) the management company of Rosatom’s Electrical Engineering Division, has begun developing a local area network (LAN) the El Dabaa NPP under construction in Egypt. The network will become a digital nervous system station, linking together all the plant’s computers, workstations, systems and sensors.
In accordance with international security standards, the network infrastructure will be completely isolated from external connections, ensuring reliable and uninterrupted operation of all digital systems of the station.
“The main objective of the project is to create a single distributed data transfer environment that guarantees a secure exchange of information between all participants of the network by the NPP operational personnel and all connected devices,” said Ilya Litvinov, Director of RASU’s project department for the Middle East, Africa and Asia. “The technical solutions used meet the current requirements for speed and reliability of data transfer. This approach will ensure the stable operation of the NPP digital systems throughout the life cycle of the station.”
The network is designed taking into account the future development of the plant. When necessary, it will be possible to connect new equipment and increase capacity without restructuring the entire system. The basis will be powerful switches that will cope with the increasing load, minimising the need for additional technology.
Particular attention is paid to resistance to potential cyber threats: built-in protection mechanisms, including firewalls and multi-level authentication, serve to protect against unauthorized access to critical data. Centralised network management will make it possible to quickly configure equipment, update software and quickly resolve problems without stopping the operation of the station.
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 for El Dabaa 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.
