Egypt says El Dabaa nuclear project meets international safety standards
Egypt’s Nuclear Power Plants Authority (NPPA) reiterated on Tuesday that the El Dabaa Nuclear Power Plant is being built in line with international nuclear safety and quality standards.
In a statement released through the Cabinet’s media centre, the authority said the recent installation of the reactor pressure vessel was completed successfully and on schedule, with no accidents or injuries reported during the heavy-lifting operation.
The NPPA explained that every critical lifting operation at the plant is subject to multiple layers of technical review and regulatory oversight, including risk assessments, work permits, manufacturer and designer instructions, certification requirements, and continuous supervision before execution.
It added that the installation of a reactor pressure vessel is a highly specialised engineering operation rather than a routine construction activity, with all safety procedures reviewed and approved before work begins.
NPPA:
“The El Dabaa project is being implemented in full compliance with international nuclear safety, security, and quality standards at every stage of construction.”
“Safety procedures for nuclear projects are governed by an integrated framework that includes risk assessments, work permits, manufacturer and designer instructions, certification requirements, execution records, and continuous regulatory oversight.”
“All safety procedures are reviewed and approved before any critical lifting operation is carried out,”
“The installation of a reactor pressure vessel is not a routine construction activity but a specialised engineering operation subject to multiple levels of technical supervision and oversight,”
The authority said the operation included full perimeter safety barriers and other collective protection measures designed to minimise workplace risks in line with international safety requirements.
Responding to concerns over workers appearing to guide the reactor vessel manually during installation, the NPPA said such practices do not violate International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) safety standards, which do not impose an absolute prohibition on manual guidance of heavy nuclear equipment.
It added that the work was carried out in accordance with Russia’s ГОСТ 12.3.009-76 (GOST) industrial lifting standard, which requires trained personnel to conduct heavy-lifting operations under clearly defined responsibilities.
The authority said the installation process followed internationally recognised practices used at other nuclear projects, including the Hinkley Point C power station in the United Kingdom, Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant in Türkiye, and Kudankulam Nuclear Power Station (KKNPS) in India.
Egypt is building the four-reactor El Dabaa Nuclear Power Plant on its Mediterranean coast in cooperation with Russia’s state nuclear corporation Rosatom as part of its strategy to diversify electricity generation sources.
The statement comes just days after an IAEA peer review found Egypt’s legal and regulatory framework for nuclear and radiation safety to be aligned with international standards, following an assessment of the country’s oversight system that included a visit to the El Dabaa nuclear power plant.
Attribution: Amwal Al Ghad English