Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly witnessed on Thursday the installation of the reactor pressure vessel in the second unit of the Dabaa nuclear power plant in the city of Dabaa, northern Egypt, a step that brings Egypt closer to its commitment to operate the plant and generate electricity from it by 2028.

The Dabaa nuclear plant is a project implemented by Egypt in cooperation with Russia to build a power plant. The two countries signed a cooperation agreement to build it on November 19, 2015, at a cost of $25 billion, provided by Russia as a soft government loan to Egypt. In December 2017, the two countries signed final agreements for its construction.

The Dabaa plant includes four nuclear reactors with a total capacity of 4,800 megawatts, with 1,200 megawatts per reactor. The first nuclear reactor is scheduled to start operation in 2028, followed by the other reactors sequentially by 2030, according to the Egyptian Ministry of Electricity.

Officials from Egypt and Russia during the installation ceremony of the reactor pressure vessel for the second nuclear unit at Dabaa plant (Cabinet)

The installation ceremony of the reactor pressure vessel for the plant's second unit was attended by an elite group of senior statesmen from both the Egyptian and Russian sides, and the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Rafael Grossi, according to a statement by the Egyptian Cabinet.

The 'dream' of the peaceful nuclear plant

The installation of the reactor pressure vessel for the second nuclear unit in Dabaa, located on Egypt's northwestern coast, coincides with the intensification of construction work at the plant according to the schedule for completing the four nuclear units and connecting them to the national electricity grid, adding a production capacity of 4,800 megawatts. It comes about seven months after the installation of the first unit's vessel.

According to the Egyptian statement, the installation of the reactor pressure vessel represents 'a major step in the project's implementation phases, as it reflects the transition to a new stage of installing main nuclear equipment, in preparation for completing construction and commissioning works according to the highest internationally approved quality and nuclear safety standards.'

Madbouly said in his speech: 'This achievement represents a new step towards completing one of the most important national projects in the new republic, turning the dream of owning a peaceful nuclear power plant for electricity generation into a tangible reality.'

Egyptian energy professor Gamal al-Qulubey believes that the installation of the reactor pressure vessel highlights Egypt's commitment to the timeline for operating the reactor.

He added to Asharq Al-Awsat: 'We are now continuing with mechanical and electrical installations such as the reactor vessel, in addition to pumps, transformers, and the electrical connections for the electricity transmission process itself.'

Nuclear safety standards

The reactor pressure vessel is classified as 'one of the most critical and sensitive components in any nuclear facility; it is like a giant steel tank made of special high-strength alloys to house the reactor core, where controlled sequential nuclear fission reactions take place,' according to what Russia Today reported on Thursday.

It added that this giant structure, weighing hundreds of tons, was 'designed to comply with the highest global nuclear safety standards, making it capable of withstanding extreme temperatures, immense pressures, and continuous exposure to radiation throughout its intended operational life of more than 75 years, extending safely until 2100.'

Russia Today quoted the Director General of Russian Rosatom, Alexey Likhachev, as saying that the equipment sent to Dabaa represents a key pillar for moving toward operations in the first unit and reaching the peak of civil construction work in the second unit.

He added: 'Currently, more than 25,000 workers are working hard at the Dabaa site,' confirming that nuclear fuel will arrive at the plant in 2027, and the first nuclear electric current will flow into the Egyptian national grid in 2028, with the project fully operational by 2030.

Egypt seeks to expand its renewable energy production to reach 45 percent of the energy mix by 2028, instead of 42 percent by 2030, according to the Egyptian Ministry of Electricity.