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Rooppur nuclear plant sees significant progress


Bangladeshpost
Published : 20 Nov 2019 09:36 PM | Updated : 04 Sep 2020 10:54 AM

The country’s first 2400 megawatt-capacity nuclear power plant at Rooppur is nearing reality with each passing day. With many of the construction parts standing the mega project is now visible to many extent. Manufacture of its various machineries and equipment is running in full swing in Russia. Some of them have already reached Bangladesh, some have been shipped and others are still in manufacturing process, official said.

The construction project is being implemented in Rooppur of Pabna district by a subsidiary of Russia’s State Atomic Energy Corporation, Rosatom. It is top priority project on the Bangladesh government’s agenda, all the way up to the Prime Minister’s Office. It is expected that the first unit with capacity of 1200MW will be commissioned in 2023, and the second with similar capacity the following year. Rosatom official said that the lower semi-vessel of the Reactor Pressure Vessel (RPV) of Unit 1 has been assembled at the Volgodonsk Branch of AEM-technology under Atommash. The company is a part of Engineering Division of Rosatom – Atomenergomash.

Head and shells of the reactor core were assembled for subsequent welding of joints and heat treatment of joint welds. Following completion of the process the lower semi-vessel will undergo different inspection operations. Then it will be connected to the already manufactured upper semi-vessel.

The Reactor represents a vertical cylindrical body with elliptic bottom with the core and other equipment inside it. In the upper part of the vessel there are nozzles for coolant supply and removal, and also nozzles for emergency coolant supply in case of circuit depressurization.

On the other hand, ZiO-Podolsk, another division of Atomenergomash has manufactured and shipped from Russia the first lot of the turbine hall equipment – Moisture Separator-Reheaters for the Rooppur project. Total weight of the shipped products is 211 tons. The equipment service life is 50 years. The company last month shipped the Bubbler Tank, part of the reactor plant pressurizer system, which is expected to reach the project site shortly.

The Moisture Separator-Reheaters (MSR) are designed to dry and reheat the moist steam downstream the turbine high pressure cylinder. MSR is a vertical equipment consisting of three parts in one body. It is a part of the turbine plant steam regeneration system. Atomenergomash is the sole supplier of the entire equipment for Rooppur NPP Reactor Hall and a big part of the turbine hall equipment.

Rooppur NPP is designed and being constructed according to Russian design. The Plant will have two power units, each of 1200 MW capacity, with latest generation 3+ VVER 1200 reactor. “The design of Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant has been developed in such a way that it will not succumb to any accident – natural or man-made. One of the main concerns of any nuclear power plant is its waste management. The Russian Federation will take back spent nuclear fuel of Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant and we have signed a deal in this regard with them,” an official said.

In 2015-2016, preparatory work was carried out at the construction site, working documentation was developed and documents for licensing for construction were prepared. On November 4, 2017, the regulatory authority of Bangladesh (BAERA) issued required license for the design and construction of the plant.

On 2 October 2013, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina laid the first stone in the foundation of Rooppur NPP. The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) approved “Construction of Rooppur NPP” Project on 6 December 2016 at an estimated cost of Taka 1,13,092.91 crore.