Russia’s state atomic energy corporation Rosatom has assured Bangladesh that electricity from the first unit of the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant will be connected to the national grid on a trial basis as soon as possible.
Rosatom director general Alexey Likhachev gave the assurance at a meeting with science and technology minister Faqir Mahbub Anam in Moscow on Friday, according to a press release issued by the ministry.
The meeting discussed the overall progress of the country’s first nuclear power project and the timeline for starting electricity generation from its first unit, equipped with a VVER-1200 reactor.
Likhachev said the project would play an important role in ensuring Bangladesh’s energy security by supplying affordable and environment-friendly energy. He also said commissioning and initial start-up activities for the plant’s second unit would begin next year.
Faqir Mahbub Anam said the 2,400-megawatt power plant would meet about 11 per cent of the country’s total electricity demand.
The two sides also discussed expanding Bangladesh’s nuclear energy sector and strengthening bilateral cooperation by building on the experience gained through the Rooppur project.
On Thursday, the first unit received final approval from the Bangladesh Atomic Energy Regulatory Authority to begin a controlled nuclear fission reaction, a key step towards commissioning the 1,200-megawatt reactor.
Before receiving the approval, the unit passed high-pressure tests of its pressure-operated relief valve, including tests at 18 and 16 megapascals.
Fuel loading in the first unit began on April 28 and was completed on May 12.
In a statement on September 28, Rosatom said the delivery of nuclear fuel for the plant’s second unit was scheduled to begin in October and continue through December.
Under the plant’s fuel supply plan, nine cargo flights are scheduled to transport an additional 48 uranium fuel assemblies for the first unit and 163 for the second unit to Bangladesh by December.
Financial Mirror/AH
