With the installation of the inner containment(IC) dome metal structures in the reactor building of Power Unit 2 of the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant (RNPP) under construction, the completion of the project reaches one more step closer, a project official said.
The upper portion of the dome, 35.7 meter in diameter and weighing 194 tonnes, was placed in its design position at an elevation of 51.7 meter, the construction height has now reached at 60.5 meter.
“IC dome installation is one of the 2022 milestones. We performed similar works at Power Unit 1 last year. Thanks to that, this time the dome pre-assembling activities required only 151 days, which is less than 56 days from last year’s. Once both IC portions have been welded together, the dome concreting will take place,” said Alexey Deriy, Vice President of ASE and Director of the Rooppur NPP Construction Project.
Installation of the IC dome was performed in two stages. The lower portion of the dome of 42.8 m in diameter and weighing 195 tonnes was placed in its design position a week earlier, on 20 June.
Assembly and installation work for the IC dome is carried out by specialists of the Branch Office of TrestRosSEM LLC, part of the Rosatom Engineering Division.
The Liebherr LR11350 crane (with a lifting capacity of 1350 tonnes) was used to lift the upper portion of the dome and ittook 4 hours. There was particular difficulty in the process since it was required to place both dome portions in the design position withmaximum accuracy.
The inner containment is one of the main components of the nuclear power plant safety system. It not only protects the reactor compartment but also supports the polar crane used to serve the nuclear reactor.
The construction work of the country's first nuclear power plant is going on in full swing at Rooppur in Pabna district, with the support of Russia’s State Atomic Energy Corporation, Rosatom. The total capacity of the plant is estimated at 2,400 MW. The government believes at least 1,200MW units of electricity from the first nuclear plant will be added to the national grid by 2023. The second with the same amount of power will be launched by 2024.
It is a top priority project on the Bangladesh government’s agenda. The progress of the works of the plant is closely monitored by the Prime Minister’s Office.
The main construction work of the power plant is continuing at Rooppur, while at the same time, essential machinery is being made in Russia. Some of the machineries have already reached Bangladesh, some shipped and others are still in the manufacturing process.
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 all spent nuclear fuel of Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant, and they have signed a deal in this regard, an official said.
Officials said the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant will bring about a comprehensive change in the country's economy, contributing more than two percent to GDP growth.
Once the nuke plant goes into operation, it will offer a window of opportunity, such as ensuring uninterrupted electricity supply to over 15 lakh families, and jobs for a large number of people.
On October 2 in 2013, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina laid the first stone in the foundation of Rooppur NPP. The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) had approved the construction of the Rooppur NPP Project on 6 December 2016 at an estimated cost of Taka 1,13,092.91 crore.
