en.Wedoany.com Reported - Atommash, a machine-building plant in Rostov Oblast (part of the mechanical engineering division of Rosatom), has commenced the manufacturing of the reactor pressure vessel for the fourth unit of Egypt's El-Dabaa Nuclear Power Plant. The NPP is being built by Rosatom, and the assembly of the fourth unit's reactor pressure vessel coincides with the planned visit of Rosatom CEO Alexey Likhachev to the construction site for the installation ceremony of the second unit's reactor pressure vessel.
The first batch of blanks, weighing over 65 tons, has been delivered to the production site. These components will form part of a Generation III+ VVER-1200 nuclear reactor. In the initial stage, the metallurgical blanks undergo machining, where specialized equipment removes excess material to ensure perfect fit during assembly. This is followed by anti-corrosion cladding, applying a durable protective layer to enhance the metal's resistance to rust over decades of operation.
Rosatom's machine-building enterprises have previously manufactured and delivered two reactor pressure vessels for the first and second units of the El-Dabaa NPP. Currently, Russian factories are producing the reactor pressure vessel for the third unit, as well as 12 steam generators and other key nuclear island equipment for the second, third, and fourth units.
Enterprises involved in the manufacturing include Rosatom's factories in St. Petersburg, Moscow Oblast, Rostov Oblast, and the Republic of Karelia. Atommash produces the core equipment of the NPP—nuclear reactors and steam generators—while Petrozavodskmash manufactures critical components such as main circulation pump units and main circulation pipelines, which ensure coolant circulation. The main circulation pump units for the first unit have been completed and delivered to the construction site. The Egyptian project employs new manufacturing technology that ensures uniformity of metal at the connection points between the main circulation pump units and other primary circuit equipment, significantly enhancing weld strength and improving the overall operational reliability of the unit.
For Russia, overseas NPP construction projects provide stable employment, drive technological development, and strengthen technological sovereignty. For Egypt, this is a key initiative to advance various aspects of life through nuclear technology. Each Generation III+ VVER-1200 reactor can generate up to 37 billion kWh of electricity annually, sufficient to meet approximately 10% of Egypt's electricity needs. The total installed capacity of the four units will reach 4,800 MW, significantly enhancing Egypt's energy security and promoting economic, technological, and social infrastructure development in the region.
The El-Dabaa NPP is Egypt's first nuclear power plant, located in the city of El-Dabaa in Matrouh Governorate on the Mediterranean coast, approximately 300 km northwest of Cairo. The NPP consists of four units, each with a capacity of 1,200 MW, equipped with Russian Generation III+ VVER-1200 pressurized water reactors. The construction is carried out under a package of contracts that came into effect on December 11, 2017. Under the contracts, the Russian side is responsible not only for building the NPP but also for supplying nuclear fuel throughout the plant's operational life and providing assistance in personnel training for the Egyptian partner during the first ten years of operation. Additionally, under a separate contract, Russia will build a dedicated storage facility and provide specialized containers for storing spent nuclear fuel.
