A truss, or support structure, for the reactor has been installed in the second unit of Bangladesh’s first nuclear power plant (NPP) at Rooppur, Russian state atomic energy corporation Rosatom said in a statement. Rosatom, the equipment supplier and technical consultant for the project, is building two VVER 1200 units of 1,200 MW each at Rooppur located on the eastern bank of the river Ganges.
A company statement described the support truss as being one of the most important elements of the equipment of the reactor pit, and is designed to reliably fasten the reactor vessel and protect it from weight and seismic loads.
The truss is a welded metal structure, consisting of radial beams, which are poured with special concrete. “The support truss is designed for thermal and radiation exposure over the entire lifetime of 60 years,” Rosatom said.
After completion of the installation of the support truss, the reactor pit will be concreted to the level of over 16,500 meters and the thrust truss, which is designed to fasten the reactor vessel at the upper level, will be installed, it added.
“The installation of the support truss is one of the milestones of 2020. It was implemented 16 days ahead of schedule. Work on the construction of the first and second units at the Rooppur NPP is in compliance with the schedule,” said Sergey Lastochkin, Vice President and Director of the Rooppur NPP construction project.
According to the project director, keeping in view the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the construction of the Rooppur NPP is being carried out in compliance with strict sanitary and epidemiological safety measures. “A remote temperature measurement procedure has been introduced, both at the site entrance, as well as at entrances to office buildings and the canteen, a special disinfecting cleaning of all office rooms and vehicles is undertaken, while employees have been provided with masks, gloves and sanitizers. Field control of personnel by doctors is carried out at site facilities,” Lastochkin added.
