Unit-1 of Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant (Rooppur NPP) is getting ready for fuel loading as the core barrel has been installed.

According to Rosatom, the Russian contractor of the project, the core barrel is one of the main elements of the reactor internals. Inside the barrel, there are a baffle and fuel assemblies that participate in the nuclear reaction.

The core barrel bottom part is perforated for circulation of the coolant (double degree of demineralized water) for cooling the fuel elements cladding, it said.

The core barrel is designed to separate the inlet and outlet coolant flows, protect the reactor pressure vessel from neutron and gamma radiation and accommodate the core elements in it.

The barrel is made of stainless austenitic class steel, it is an integral part of the nuclear power reactor. The weight of the barrel is 73.74 tons, its length is 10869 mm (35.66 feet), and its diameter is 3610 mm (11.84 feet).

Rooppur NPP equipped with two VVER-1200 reactors of a total 2400 MW capacity is being constructed under the Russian design.

These generation III+ reactors fully comply with all the international safety requirements. The Engineering Division of Rosatom State Corporation of Russia is the general designer and general contractor of the project.

According to Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission (BAEC), the 2400 MW Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant project, with two units, was undertaken in 2010.

A target was set by the government to complete the construction of the first unit in 2022 and second unit in 2023.

But later the target was reset, and the first unit was to be completed by June 2024 and second unit by June 2025.