The process of generating electricity at the first unit of the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant has begun following approval for Stage C. The process started at 12:03 pm on Friday through a power start-up, which involved increasing the pressure and temperature inside the reactor.
Dr Zahedul Hasan, managing director of Nuclear Power Plant Company Bangladesh Limited (NPCBL), confirmed the development.
He said Stage C activities began at 12:03 pm today with approval from the Bangladesh Atomic Energy Regulatory Authority (BAERA), following the successful completion of Stage B activities. A series of tests is now being conducted inside the reactor, with pressure and temperature gradually being increased.
Project officials said preparations for power generation at the first unit had reached a crucial stage. BAERA approved the start of Stage C, or power start-up activities, yesterday. The necessary physics tests and Stage B-2 activities for the unit had been completed earlier.
The reactor’s power level will now be gradually raised from zero to test the performance of various equipment, the coolant system, turbine-generator and electrical and control systems.
A key milestone at this stage will be synchronising the generator with the national grid. According to relevant sources, trial electricity supply to the grid may begin once the reactor reaches around 30 percent of its capacity. But this will not constitute commercial generation. Various technical and safety tests will continue even after the unit is connected to the grid.
Earlier, fuel loading and commissioning activities at the first unit were delayed somewhat due to technical complications involving the automatic pressure relief safety valve. Following the necessary tests and technical measures, BAERA approved the move to the next stage. The reactor reached the minimum controllable power level (MCPL) this October.
Meanwhile, Russia’s state nuclear energy corporation Rosatom has announced that the first consignment of specially manufactured nuclear fuel assemblies for the initial fuel loading of the second unit has arrived in Bangladesh. The fuel assemblies, produced at the Novosibirsk Chemical Concentrates Plant in Siberia, were transported to the country by a specialised cargo aircraft. After arriving at the project site, the fuel containers were placed in designated secure storage facilities.
Each fuel assembly will undergo visual and technical inspections before being loaded into the reactor. These inspections will be conducted by a joint commission comprising experts from the Bangladeshi customer, the project’s main contractor and the fuel manufacturer. The entire process will follow the prescribed nuclear and radiation safety regulations.
According to project sources, plans are in place to supply a total of 163 uranium fuel assemblies for the second unit. Fresh fuel is also being brought to Bangladesh for the first unit’s future refuelling. Project officials had earlier confirmed that a consignment of fuel for the second unit arrived at Rooppur in October.