Egypt's ambitious nuclear energy project is witnessing major progress as the installation of the first nuclear equipment, a melt trap, has commenced at the El Dabaa Nuclear Power Plant (NPP). 

The project, a joint venture between Egypt and the Russian state nuclear corporation Rosatom, marks a pivotal moment in Egypt's journey towards harnessing nuclear power for its energy needs.

Read next: Egypt keeps active interaction with Russia despite Western pressure

The Nuclear Power Plants Authority of Egypt confirmed this development on Friday, highlighting the importance of this initial step.

Egyptian Nuclear Power Plants Authority board chair Amged El-Wakeel expressed his enthusiasm for this momentous occasion and its significance for Egypt's nuclear energy aspirations.

"The installation of a melt trap, the first long-term nuclear equipment, marks a crucial event on the path to realizing the Egyptian nuclear project," stated El-Wakeel in a press release.

The melt trap, a critical component in nuclear reactors, plays a vital role in ensuring the safety and stability of the reactor core. It is designed to catch and contain molten nuclear fuel in the unlikely event of a nuclear meltdown, preventing the release of radioactive materials into the environment.

Russian-Egyptian cooperation

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in September that Moscow and Cairo would continue to actively develop their economic and trade relations across various industries, including the nuclear field where Russia is currently building Egypt's first atomic power plant.

"We are rapidly expanding trade and economic ties. Our mutual trade reached $6 billion in 2022, which is almost 30% more than the year before," Lavrov said.

"In March, another meeting of the intergovernmental commission on Economy and Trade took place, during which new decisions were made regarding further implementation of our joint projects," Lavrov added during an opening ceremony for an exhibition dedicated to the 80th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

Russia's top diplomat also addressed industrial ties between both nations, highlighting the ongoing work to establish a Russian industrial zone in the strategic Suez Canal.

The uptick in the development of ties between the two nations comes after Egypt expressed its aspirations to join the BRICS economic bloc, of which Russia is a founding member.

As of January 1, 2024, Egypt, Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE will become official new members of BRICS, and 16 new countries have applied to join.

One test that BRICS members will come to face over the coming years will be that of solidarity. BRICS, and those willing to join it, will have to express 'in decision' their will to remain together, and these limits will be sorely tested.