Egypt has reached another major milestone in the construction of its first nuclear power plant after the successful installation of the reactor pressure vessel at Unit 2 of the 4,800-megawatt El-Dabaa Nuclear Power Plant, bringing the country closer to joining the ranks of nuclear power-producing nations.
The installation was carried out on July 9 by Russia’s state nuclear corporation, Rosatom, which is serving as the general designer and contractor for the project.
The milestone was witnessed by Egypt’s Prime Minister, Mostafa Madbouly, Rosatom Director General Alexey Likhachev, Egypt’s Minister of Electricity and Renewable Energy, Dr. Mahmoud Esmat, while Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, delivered opening remarks during the ceremony.
Madbouly described the project as one of Egypt’s most important national infrastructure investments, saying the installation of the reactor pressure vessel at Unit 2 represented another significant step towards the country’s long-standing ambition of operating a peaceful nuclear power programme.
He said the El-Dabaa Nuclear Power Plant aligns with Egypt Vision 2030 by supporting economic development, strengthening energy security and enhancing the country’s regional and global standing.
According to the Prime Minister, the project also reflects the enduring strategic partnership between Egypt and Russia, which dates back to the construction of the Aswan High Dam in the 1960s.
Rosatom Director General Alexey Likhachev said construction of the plant was progressing rapidly, noting that the reactor pressure vessel had been installed at Unit 1 only seven months earlier.
“Today we are carrying out the same operation at Unit 2. This is a significant milestone not only for the unit itself but for the entire project. It enables us to move on to the next key stage—the welding of the main coolant pipeline,” he said.
The reactor pressure vessel is the central component of a nuclear reactor, housing the reactor core where nuclear fission takes place. It is designed to withstand extremely high temperatures and pressure while ensuring the safe containment of radioactive materials.
Rosatom said the vessel, weighing more than 340 tonnes, was lifted into the reactor building using a 1,350-tonne crawler crane and installed with an accuracy of one-tenth of a millimetre.
The next major construction activity at Unit 2 will be the welding of the main coolant pipeline, a critical stage before further installation and commissioning works.
Industry experts consider the installation of the reactor pressure vessel one of the most significant milestones in the construction of a nuclear power plant because it marks the transition to the final stages leading to physical start-up, when nuclear fuel is first loaded into the reactor.
The El-Dabaa Nuclear Power Plant, located on Egypt’s Mediterranean coast about 300 kilometres northwest of Cairo, will comprise four Generation III+ VVER-1200 pressurised water reactors with a combined installed capacity of 4,800MW upon completion.
The project is being implemented under agreements that came into force in December 2017. Beyond constructing the plant, Rosatom will supply nuclear fuel throughout its operational life, train Egyptian personnel, provide technical support during the first decade of operation, and build facilities for the storage of spent nuclear fuel.
In November 2025, Rosatom and Egypt’s Ministry of Electricity signed a Comprehensive Cooperation Programme aimed at expanding collaboration in nuclear technology, scientific research and long-term energy development, further strengthening strategic ties between both countries.
The El-Dabaa project is expected to diversify Egypt’s electricity generation mix, reduce dependence on fossil fuels and provide stable low-carbon baseload electricity to support the country’s growing energy demand.
