The sixth consignment of uranium for the first unit of Rooppur Nuclear Power Project has arrived in Pabna’s Rooppur under special security arrangement. Pabna Superintendent of Police Akbar Ali Munshi confirmed that the convoy carrying uranium entered the project area at 8:30 am on Friday. SP Akbar said the convoy carrying uranium left the capital in the morning and crossed Bangabandhu Bridge and reached Rooppur project area via Banpara in Natore and Dashuria in Pabna's Ishwardi. Fifth batch of uranium for RNPP arrives in Rooppur amid tight security He added that law enforcement agencies were working to ensure tight security in view of the arrival of uranium. Besides, vehicular movement on the highway from Dhaka to Rooppur in the project area was suspended from 5am to 10am. However, traffic movement was restored when the uranium consignment entered the Rooppur project area, said the SP. Earlier on September 28, the first consignment of fuel for the Rooppur Nuclear Power Project arrived in Bangladesh. The next day, on September 29, fuel was taken to the project area under special security measures. Fourth batch of uranium for RNPP reaches Rooppur amid tight security The consignment was formally handed over in the presence of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Russian President Vladimir Putin through a video conference on October 5, marking Bangladesh’s entry to the world’s elite club of nuclear power producers. On January 15, 2013, an agreement regarding State Export Credit of US$ 500 million was signed for carrying out preparatory phase construction works of Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant. The government signed a US$12.65 billion general contract (GC) in 2015 with Moscow for building the nuclear power plant. Bangladesh signed a credit agreement with Russia to obtain $11.385 billion credit for RNPP in July 2016. The credit covers 90 percent of the project cost. Russia to take back spent fuel of Rooppur nuclear power plant: PM Hasina tells fuel handing ceremony The Ministry of Science and Technology recently said that the first unit of the plant may come into operation in July 2024 and the second unit in July 2025. Once the two units become operational, the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant will be capable of generating 2,400 MW of power. The first unit has reached over 90 percent completion in terms of physical and structural work, while the second unit has progressed to about 70 percent completion. According to the World Nuclear Association website, the countries using nuclear energy include the US, China, France, Russia, South Korea, Canada, Ukraine, Germany, Japan, Spain Sweden, Belgium, UK, India, Czech Republic, Finland, Switzerland, Bulgaria, Pakistan, Hungary, Slovakia, Brazil, South Africa, Mexico, Romania, Argentina, United Arab Emirates, Belarus, Slovenia, the Netherlands, Iran and Armenia.

The fifth consignment of uranium, the nuclear fuel for Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant, has arrived in Pabna’s Rooppur under special security arrangement. A convoy carrying uranium entered the project area around 9:25am on Friday (October 27). The last consignment of the ‘fresh nuclear fuel’ reached Rooppur on October 20. Confirming the development, Biplob Kumar Goswami, Pabna additional superintendent of police (Ishwardi Circle) said the convoy carrying uranium left the capital in the morning and crossed Bangabandhu Bridge and reached Rooppur project area via Banpara in Natore and Dasuria in Ishwardi of Pabna. Fourth batch of uranium for RNPP reaches Rooppur amid tight security Earlier on September 28, the first consignment of fuel for the Rooppur Nuclear Power Project arrived in Bangladesh. The next day, on September 29, fuel was taken to the project area under special security measures. The consignment was formally handed over in the presence of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Russian President Vladimir Putin through a video conference on October 5, marking Bangladesh’s entry to the world’s elite club of nuclear power producers. On January 15, 2013, an agreement regarding State Export Credit of US$ 500 million was signed for carrying out preparatory phase construction works of Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant. Russia to take back spent fuel of Rooppur nuclear power plant: PM Hasina tells fuel handing ceremony The government signed a US$12.65 billion general contract (GC) in 2015 with Moscow for building the nuclear power plant. Bangladesh signed a credit agreement with Russia to obtain $11.385 billion credit for RNPP in July 2016. The credit covers 90 percent of the project cost. The Ministry of Science and Technology recently said that the first unit of the plant may come into operation in July 2024 and the second unit in July 2025. Once the two units become operational, the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant will be capable of generating 2,400 MW of power. The first unit has reached over 90 percent completion in terms of physical and structural work, while the second unit has progressed to about 70 percent completion. Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant  to take one and half years to commission: Yeafesh Osman According to the World Nuclear Association website, the countries using nuclear energy include the US, China, France, Russia, South Korea, Canada, Ukraine, Germany, Japan, Spain Sweden, Belgium, UK, India, Czech Republic, Finland, Switzerland, Bulgaria, Pakistan, Hungary, Slovakia, Brazil, South Africa, Mexico, Romania, Argentina, United Arab Emirates, Belarus, Slovenia, the Netherlands, Iran and Armenia.

The first consignment of uranium, the nuclear fuel for Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant, has arrived in Pabna’s Rooppur under special security arrangement. Akbar Ali Munsi, superintendent of Pabna police, confirmed the development saying that the first consignment of the uranium was transported here around 1:15pm Friday. First batch of uranium for RNPP heads to Rooppur amid tight security He said the motorcade carrying the uranium broke down in Gazipur partly due to mechanical fault, but resumed the journey around 7am after it was fixed. An additional number of law enforcement agencies were deployed on the Dhaka-Pabna Highway and check posts were also set up at important points as part of the security measures, the SP said, adding that vehicular movement on the highway was also kept suspended. Akbar Ali said the authorities concerned were asked to keep vehicular movement suspended on the highway due to the security issue as the route frequently remains stuck with traffic gridlock.  He, however, said the vehicles plying on the highway were asked to operate through alternative Aricha-Kazirhat routes to avoid suffering. First shipment of uranium for Rooppur nuclear power plant arrives in country Earlier, the first batch of fresh uranium for the first unit of Rooppur nuclear power plant arrived at Dhaka airport on Thursday in a special air cargo from Russia. According to official sources, Director General of the Russian State Atomic Energy Corporation Rosatom Aleksey Likhachev will hand over the fuel officially to the project authority in the Rooppur project on October 5. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Russian President Vladimir Putin are expected to virtually join the function. The fuel was produced at the Novosibirsk Chemical Concentrates Plant (NCCP) in Russia, a subsidiary of Rosatom's fuel manufacturing company Tevel. USD300 million compensation guarantee given to import fuel for Rooppur plant: Official Rosatom as a Russian contractor has been engaged in building the 2400 MW Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant (RNPP) having two units with capacity 1200 MW each. According to project officials, the government is expecting to commission the first unit of the RNPP in September next year and second unit in mid of 2025.

The consignment meant for the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) that had to be turned away from Bangladesh shores due to being carried by a US-sanctioned vessel, may ultimately be sent to their destination by road. This is based on indications that the Russian ship, instead of going all the way back with the vital equipment it was carrying, has hovered in the Bay of Bengal since the incident in late December. Now the BBC is reporting that it may be looking to unload its consignment at the Haldia port in West Bengal. India has been openly defying US sanctions on Russian ships since the start of the war in Ukraine. All Indian ports are thus open to Russia-flagged vessels, even those with sanctions on them. Read more: Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant project delayed by Russia-Ukraine War: Yeafesh Osman The Russian-flagged ship arrived at the Mongla port channel at the end of December with goods destined for the Rooppur plant, Mongla Port Authority Secretary Kalachand Singh said. "We have learned that the cargo from the vessel can be unloaded at the Haldia port in India's West Bengal. From there, another vessel could carry the consignment for the Rooppur power plant and deliver it to a port of Bangladesh," he added. Sadhan Kumar, operations officer of Khulna Conveyor Shipping Lines, said: "Earlier shipments for Rooppur NPP were delivered by Russian and neutral, foreign-flagged vessels at the Mongla port. After the unloading of the cargoes at the port, they would be taken to Rooppur." Read More: Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant to get powerful reactors: Rosatom DG The sanctioned Russian ship Sparta III was scheduled to dock at the port in the southwestern part of the country and unload cargo destined for the Rooppur NPP in Pabna. But the authorities denied the ship permission to dock at the port after officials got a letter from the US Embassy in Dhaka saying that the ship was on a list of Russian ships sanctioned by the US.

The work on the construction of Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) is going on in full swing as the installation of the dome of outer containment at the reactor building of Unit-1 has begun to upgrade safety features protecting any serious external shocks. It will enhance the safety features of the country’s first nuclear power plant. According to Rosatom, the Russian contractor of the Rooppur NPP, the installation of the lower tier of the dome has already been completed as part of the work. Read more: Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant to get powerful reactors: Rosatom DG It took five hours for installing the heavy structure with a weight of 200 tonnes and a diameter of 46.3 meters in the design position at a height of 48.8 metres. Installation of the upper tier and concreting will take place in the coming days.

Bangladesh's Science and Technology Minister Yeafesh Osman has said that the government is trying to complete the construction work of Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant project within the stipulated timeframe. “Due to the Russia-Ukraine war and subsequent dollar crisis, work of the project has been delayed to some extent,” he remarked while briefing reporters after a joint meeting of his ministry with the Power Division on Wednesday (November 09, 2022) at Dhaka’s Bidyut Bhaban. State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid was also present at the meeting. The meeting was convened to discuss the progress of the construction of a power transmission line from the nuclear power plant in Rooppur in Pabna. Read: Bridge cranes installed at Unit 2 of Rooppur NPP 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. Sources involved in the project believe it may miss the new timeline again. Yeafesh Osman today did not specify any timeframe. Read: 178 Russians employees of Rooppur Nuclear Power Project leave Bangladesh “We’re trying to get this done,” he said, adding that both the Science and Technology Ministry and the Power Division will work together in a coordinated manner to complete the project. About the power transmission line, Nasrul Hamid said the project was also delayed due to Covid-19 pandemic and Russia-Ukraine war. “Now efforts are being made to expedite the project implementation”, he said. He said the transmission line crossing the Padma river is a major work which may take another one and a half years to complete. Read More: Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant to get powerful reactors: Rosatom DG “We hope we can complete the transmission line before completion of the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant project,” he said.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today (Oct 19, 2022) inaugurated the installation of the second and final reactor at the country's first Rooppur nuclear power plant. The reactor pressure vessel was installed at the second unit of the 2,400 MW Rooppur nuclear power plant (RNPP). She joined the programme virtually from her official residence Ganabhaban while it was held in Ishwardi of the northern district of Pabna. The country’s lone nuclear power plant, being constructed at Rooppur in Ishwardi at a total cost of US$ 12.65 billion, has two units with a power generation capacity of 1200 MW each. Read: Bridge cranes installed at Unit 2 of Rooppur NPP In October last year, the prime minister  inaugurated the reactor pressure vessel of the plant's first unit. According to the Rosatom, the Russian contractor of the project, the VVER-1200 reactor vessel passed the input control in accordance with all regulatory requirements before its installation Wednesday. Rosatom officials said the operation to install the VVER-1200 reactor vessel of the second power unit in the design position was carried out in several stages. A Liebherr-11350 heavy crawler crane lifted the reactor vessel onto the transport portal of the power unit. Read PM to open installation of reactor pressure vessel at Rooppur Power Plant's 2nd unit Wednesday Then, on a special transport trolley, it was moved to the central hall of the reactor compartment. Further, with the help of a polar crane, the reactor vessel was turned into a vertical position and installed on a support ring in the reactor shaft. According to the RNPP officials, the first unit of the project has already made 70 per cent progress in physical work, and with the installation of the reactor pressure vessel at the second unit the project will have overall 53 percent of physical work completed. “With the installation of the reactor pressure vessel, the project’s second unit’s physical work will achieve over 45 per cent of the target”, Dr Md Shawkat Akbar, the project director in the country’s biggest scheme in power generation, told UNB on Tuesday. Read Fourth Russian shipment for Rooppur arrives at Mongla Port The government undertook the project in 2009 and after a long discussion signed an $11.385 billion credit agreement with Russian Federation on July 26 in 2016 to implement the project through appointing the Russian state nuclear energy firm—Rosatom--as its contractor. In addition, on August 6, 2019, Bangladesh signed a nuclear fuel supply agreement with Russia for the project. Under the deal, the Russian state-owned nuclear fuel firm TVEL Joint Stock Company will supply nuclear fuel for the entire life span of the power plant. Read Rooppur NPP: Hydro-accumulators’ testing begins in Russia Each unit of the power plant will have to reload one-third of the total required nuclear fuel after every 18 months and the first, second and third reloads will be provided by the Russian firm free of cost. Each reloading of nuclear fuel will cost $62 million, equivalent to Tk 550 crore. Shawkat  informed that after the installation of the pressure vessel at the second unit, the major work that will remain unfinished include pre-operational testing and fuel loading. “We hope, we’ll perform these work by June next year”, he said adding, some more work will be required to be completed before commissioning the project. Read Manufacturing of hydro-accumulators of Rooppur NPP underway “Construction of power grid line and building of communication and security systems are among the important work required to be completed before mid 2024”, he said. The second half of the year 2024 is set to be the deadline to start commercial operation of the 1200 MW first unit of the nuclear power plant while the second unit in 2025, said  Shawkat, also managing director of the Nuclear Power Company Bangladesh Limited (NPCBL), a dedicated company to deal with nuclear power plant. Initially, a target was set to start the commercial operation of the first unit from 2022 and second unit from 2023 and then the target was deferred. Read Auxiliary reactor building construction at Rooppur unit-1 ends ahead of schedule Officials of the NPCBL said about 14,000 foreign workers from different western countries, including Russia and Belarus, are now engaged in the Rooppur nuclear power plant project under the contractor and its sub-contractors to execute different works.

A Russian ship carrying machinery for the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) has arrived at Mongla port.This is the third arrival of a Russian vessel in Bangladesh since the start of the war in Ukraine last February.The Belize flag carrier, MV UNIWISDOM, carrying 1,421 MT of machineries for the power plant, docked at the port’s jetty-7 on Tuesday evening, said Abul Hashem Shamim, Khulna manager of MAC Shipping in Khulna, the vessel's local shipping agent. The unloading of machineries from the ship has already started, he said, adding that the machineries will be later taken to Rooppur Power Plant by road. Read: First Russian ship anchors at Mongla since Ukraine invasion He also said that the unloading process will be completed by next Thursday. Rear Admiral Mohammad Musa, chairman of Mongla Port, said that  most of the goods for the country's mega projects are being imported through this port, due to the existing facilities. It saves money for the port users on the one hand, and they are also able to take the goods to the project area in a short time, he added. Earlier, two ships carrying equipment for Rooppur NPP arrived at Mongla Port on August 1 and 5.            

Installation of internals into half bodies hydro-accumulators for unit-2 of Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant has begun in Petrozavodsk Branch of AEM-Technologies in Russia.According to a press release of Rosatom, the Russian contractor of the Rooppur NPP, the half bodies were also manufactured in the same facility. These accumulators are part of passive core flooding system (PCFS).Eight hydro-accumulators are to be installed in each unit of the plant. Read: Despite surplus electricity, contracts of 10 rental power plants extended in four monthsEach hydro-accumulator has a capacity of 120 cubic meters is made of stainless steel. It has three shells and two heads. Ladders and maintenance platforms as well as other internals are installed into the body.PCFS refers to the second level of NPP passive safety systems.It is intended for removal of the residual heat of the coolant in reactor’s primary circuit. Read Rooppur NPP: Installation of outer containment dome at unit-1 in OctoberAn aqueous boric acid solution heated to a temperature of approximately 60 degrees Celsius is stored inside the hydro- accumulators during operation of the plant.If the pressure in the primary circuit falls below a certain level due to some accident, the fluid automatically flows into the reactor and the active core is cooled down.Rooppur NPP is being designed and constructed under a Russian project. Read Belarus national found dead at Rooppur Nuke Plant areaThe Engineering Division of Rosatom State Corporation is responsible for design and construction of the facility.The plant will consist of two power units with VVER-type reactors which life cycle is 60 years with a possibility to extend the life cycle by another 20 years. The capacity of each unit will be 1200 MW. AEM-Technologies is manufacturing the major equipment of the reactor hall for two power units. Read: Mild heat wave sweeps over four districtsAccording to Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission, the implementing authority of the RNPP, the first unit of the power plant was scheduled to start operation in 2022 and second one in 2024.But recently the first unit’s operation of Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant was rescheduled to 2024 and second unit to 2025.

Main concrete works of auxiliary reactor building at unit-1 of Rooppur nuclear power plant (NPP) has been completed eight months ahead of schedule. According to Rosatom, the Russian contractor of the plant, the building is a part of the ‘Nuclear Island’ and is designed to house process instrumentation and control devices. The construction time period of the building was reduced by 241 days thanks to logistic processes optimization and were timely supplied with the required resources like materials and tools. The average volume of concrete laid by specialists of NIKIMT-Atomstroy accounted for 1,600 m3 per month instead of schedule 1,000 m3, it said in a statement. Also read: Generator stator installed at Unit-1 of Rooppur NPP “The pace of work, achieved by the specialists of NIKIMT-Atomstroy, while satisfying all the stringent quality requirements, demonstrates the highest potentials of Rooppur NPP construction workers”, said Alexey Deriy, Vice President of ASE and Project Director for Rooppur NPP Construction. With such high professionalism of our employees, we safely can say that construction of Bangladesh's first NPP will be completed within the scheduled dates, despite a range of challenges including COVID-19 pandemic and complex international situation, he added. Reduced time period in construction allowed reducing the cost, first of all, by means of saving the semi-fixed part of overhead costs and making a significant number of highly qualified labor resources available ahead of schedule, who have already been engaged in performance of other production tasks. Also read: Russia keeps Rooppur plant's equipment shipment uninterrupted Rooppur NPP will be equipped with two Russian VVER-1200 reactors with a total capacity of 2,400 MWe. This is an evolutionary Generation III+ design which fully complies with all the international safety requirements. Engineering Division of Rosatom State Corporation, Russia is the General Designer and General Contractor of the project. According to Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission (BAEC), the implementing agency of the project, the first unit of the Rooppur NPP was scheduled to come into operation in 2022 and second unit in 2024. But later the first unit’s operation was deferred for 2024 and the second unit for 2025.