The First Pour of Concrete for the construction of Russian-designed Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant (RNPP) in Bangladesh is likely to happen this month with highest authorities to be present from both countries. It is one of the most important milestone in nuclear energy projects, which signifies the start of the construction, The Financial Express reports quoting a senior official of the Ministry of Science and Technology (MoST) of Bangladesh.
According to the newspaper, Russian President Vladimir Putin is expected to be present at the event, when other top Russian leaders and top officials from Rosatom State Atomic Energy Corporation would take part.
Bangladesh and Russia have recently signed agreement on import on spent nuclear fuel of RNPP. The document stipulates provisions for reprocessing of the spent Russian nuclear fuel from the Roopput NPP at subsidiary enterprises of Rosatom. Implementation of the Agreement will define the procedure for treatment of the spent nuclear fuel of RNPP.
Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant will be equipped with two Russian VVER reactors, each with a capacity of 1,200 MW.
According to Alexey Likhachev, CEO of Rosatom, the VVER-1200 offered by Rosatom is a modern generation 3+ project which meets all post-Fukushima safety standards and international regulations.
The construction of the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant is implemented under an intergovernmental agreement signed between Russia and Bangladesh in 2011. The Unit 1 of RNPP is expected to commence operation in 2023, followed by the second in 2024.
Yafes Osman, the Minister of Science and Technology of Bangladesh, has recently remarked: “Power is a must to change the lives of people and Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant is a project which will help us to meet the power demand.” He added that the nuclear power plant would serve the country for a long period and it would help to accelerate the country’s economic growth.
Light-water reactors, using normal water under pressure have been developed and constructed in Russia and are known as VVER type reactors. In such reactors, water serves both as a neutron moderator and as a reactor coolant.
