Staff Reporter
Cairo, December 5 — The core catcher stands as a pivotal component within the passive safety systems of power units, an integral feature in contemporary nuclear power units housing III+ generation VVER-1200 reactors.
On November 19, a significant milestone unfolded as specialists commenced the installation of the core catcher body at Unit 2 of El-Dabaa Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) in the Arab Republic of Egypt, with Rosatom State Corporation Engineering Division serving as the general designer and general contractor.
The official ceremony marking the commencement of the core catcher installation saw the presence of key figures such as Dr. Amged El-Wakeel, Board Chairman of the Nuclear Power Plants Authority of the Arab Republic of Egypt (NPPA), Eng. Mohamed Ramadan, Deputy Board Chairman of NPPA, Mr. Andrey Petrov, Rosatom State Corporation First Deputy General Director for Nuclear Energy – ASE JSC President, Mr. Alexey Zhukov, ASE JSC First Vice President for Construction, Mr. Alexey Kononenko, ASE JSC Vice President – Director for the El-Dabaa NPP Construction Project, alongside project teams from Rosatom Engineering Division and the Nuclear Power Plants Authority of Egypt.
Andrey Petrov, expressing satisfaction with the project’s progress, highlighted the installation of the core catcher at power unit two as a key construction milestone for 2024, remarkably completed ahead of schedule in November 2023. He emphasized the swift progress by mentioning the installation of a core catcher at power unit one just two months prior, showcasing simultaneous construction efforts for the initial two power units. Petrov also outlined plans for the first concreting in the foundation slab of power unit four by year-end, marking the conclusion of the preparatory phase and the shift to the main stage of the four-unit El Dabaa NPP construction.
Dr. El-Wakeel acknowledged and appreciated the joint efforts of workers from both Egyptian and Russian sides. He emphasized that the achievements at the El-Dabaa Nuclear Power Plant were not accidental but a direct result of dedicated and persistent efforts from all project participants working tirelessly day and night to meet project milestones.
The core catcher, comprised of several elements with a total weight of 700 tons, represents a critical safety measure in nuclear reactor design. In a parallel development, similar equipment was installed at power unit No. 1 in October 2023, underscoring the systematic and accelerated progress of the El-Dabaa NPP construction.
