Egypt green lights construction of third Russian nuclear reactor at El-Dabaa

Construction of unit one of the Novovoronezh Nuclear Power Plant II, which uses the same reactor technology as planned for El-Dabaa (Image: Hullernuc, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons)

Egypt has granted a licence for the construction of a third nuclear reactor at the El-Dabaa power plant, using a VVER-1200 reactor designed by Russian nuclear engineering firm Rosatom.

El-Dabaa is Egypt’s first nuclear power plant. It will sit on the Mediterranean cost in the Matrouh province, 300km north west of Cairo.

The plant will consist of four power units of 1200 MW each, with generation III+ VVER-1200 pressurised water reactors.

The reactor technology is already in use in four power units in Russia: two reactors at Novovoronezh nuclear power plant and two at Leningrad nuclear power plant.

Atomstroyexpert JSC (ASE JSC), a subsidiary of Rosatom, will build the plant.

Alexander Korchagin, ASE JSC senior vice president for nuclear power plant construction projects management said, “Receipt of the license for construction of Unit 3 is the result of huge effort for the preparation of the license documentation. This is another important step that brings us closer to the main period of construction of Power Unit 3.

“Thanks to the well-coordinated work of the owner and the contractor (ASE JSC) we are successfully passing new stages in the construction of the first nuclear power plant in Egypt.”

Egypt’s government and Rosatom entered into a contract for the plant in 2017. Under the deal, Rosatom will build the plant and supply nuclear fuel for the life cycle of the plant.

It will also train personnel and support operation and service of the plant during the first 10 years.