Russian state nuclear company Rosatom has initiated the installation of the Inner Containment for the reactor building of Unit 2 at the El-Dabaa Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) in Egypt.

This Inner Containment is a critical safety component, designed to prevent radioactive leakage into the environment in the event of an emergency.

The company noted that the Inner Containment is a cylindrical reinforced concrete structure capped with a semispherical dome, which will house the nuclear reactor and primary circuit equipment.

Each of the 12 leaf-type segments that form the first tier of the Inner Containment weighs between 60 tons (t) and 80t.

The installation followed the completion of the foundation slab's pouring.

The Nuclear Power Plants Authority Board chair Dr Amged El Wakeel, highlighted the significance of this milestone by announcing the successful installation of the first tier of Inner Containment at the El-Dabaa NPP's Unit 2.

This development came after the El-Dabaa NPP had previously seen the installation of the first tier of Inner Containment for the reactor building of Unit 1, a process that spanned from March to May.

ASE JSC vice-president and El-Dabaa NPP Construction Project director Alexey Kononenko said: “Today we are moving on to a new stage of the construction works of Unit 2 of the El-Dabaa Nuclear Power Plant in Egypt. Undoubtedly, our international team has done a tremendous job for this purpose.

“Whereas, the installation of Inner Containment of the reactor building is a technical operation that will result in the safe operation of the EL-Dabaa Nuclear Power Plant in the future.

“It is a great pleasure to acknowledge the close cooperation between both the Russian and Egyptian parties - currently, we are building all four units of the NPP simultaneously, ensuring overall development of the construction site of the Nuclear Power Plant.”