Egypt: Installation of the lower head of the reactor vessel in Unit 3 at the El Dabaa Nuclear Power Plant - Sarmad

The Egyptian Nuclear Power Plants Authority announced on Saturday the installation of the lower plate of the reactor well for the third nuclear unit at the El Dabaa Nuclear Power Plant.

The lower plate of the reactor well is a high-precision cylindrical steel component manufactured in accordance with strict manufacturing specifications. It weighs approximately 130.85 tons, has a diameter of 5,465 mm, and a length of 3,820 mm. It is geometrically compatible with the inner diameter of the dry cask storage system (5,650 mm), allowing for installation with precisely calculated clearance gaps.

This component is one of the essential elements of the reactor well equipment for Russian-designed third-generation VVER-1200 pressurized water reactors. Its installation follows the completion of the dry cask storage system installation, marking one of the final assembly steps in preparation for placing the reactor pressure vessel in its designated position.

The lower plate of the reactor well serves as the connecting link between the well equipment and the reactor pressure vessel, ensuring precise vertical alignment of the pressure vessel along its axis. It plays a key role in completing the reactor well system. Its installation follows a precise sequence: it precedes the installation of the reactor core catcher, the pouring of concrete into support and fixation structures, the installation of the dry cask storage system and thermal insulation for the cylindrical section of the vessel, and finally, the support ring that bears the main weight of the vessel.