The Director General of Rosatom State Corporation, the Russian contractor for the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant in Bangladesh, announced they have reached one of the most important stages of the project - delivery of fresh nuclear fuel to the site. Alexey Likhachev said the milestone in the project's implementation has been reached thanks to the efforts of both his Russian and Bangladeshi colleagues. Delivery of fresh nuclear fuel will mark the transition of the NPP under construction into the status of a nuclear facility, and will make Bangladesh a member of the “nuclear community” of countries using atomic energy for peaceful purposes, Likhachev said. Nuclear fuel for Rooppur power plant to arrive in Bangladesh in September, Rosatom DG tells PM The Rooppur NPP equipped with two VVER-1200 reactors capable of producing a combined 2400 MW of electricity is being built by the Russian state atomic power agency 160 km from Dhaka under a General Contract dated December 25, 2015, said the Russian Embassy in Dhaka on Monday. Rooppur NPP not to get fuel supply until all necessary inspections completed: Russian Contractor Likhachev met with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and discussed the current issues of Rooppur NPP construction, including the readiness of the site for the most important milestone of the year - delivery of fresh fuel for Unit 1. The Russian design with two VVER-1200 reactors that had been successfully implemented at two units of the Novovoronezh NPP in central Russia, was selected for the first NPP in Bangladesh. Another vessel carrying cargo for Rooppur docks at Mongla port This is an evolutionary Generation III+ design which fully complies with all international safety requirements, and is said to be foolproof. Russia is consistently developing international trade and economic relations, focusing on cooperation with friendly countries, said the Embassy. Despite external restrictions, the domestic economy is augmenting its export potential to supply goods, services and raw materials all over the world, it said. The implementation of major international energy projects is underway. Rosatom and its enterprises are taking an active part in this work, said the Embassy.    

Welding of the main coolant pipeline (MCP) has been successfully completed in the reactor building of Unit 2 at Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant (NPP). According to Rosatom, the Russian Contractor of the Rooppur NPP, the entire process of joining, welding, and heat treatment of 28 weld joints took 60 days. Another 6 days were required to complete surfacing with austenitic stainless steel that will protect the pipeline from aggressive media, it said. The main coolant pipeline is a system of pipes connected to the primary circuit. It consists of four loops, each of which is connected to the reactor and reactor coolant pump and steam generator. The MCP is 140 meters long with an inner diameter of 850 mm and weighs 238 tons. “During the NPP operation, coolant with a temperature of 320 degrees centigrade will be circulating through the MCP, therefore, pipeline welding is a very responsible process involving the most experienced welders.Each weld joint passes seven inspections at different work stages, which guarantees its reliability and quality”, said Alexey Deriy, ASE Vice President and Director of Rooppur NPP Construction Project. About 100 employees of Energospetsmontazh were engaged in the works. Specialists from NIKIMT-Atomstroy provided technical, expertise, and consultation support. Read more: Generator stator installed at Unit-1 of Rooppur NPP Rooppur NPP is being equipped with two Russian VVER-1200 reactors of a total 2400 MW capacity. The VVER-1200 reactors belonging to Generation III+ fully comply with all the international safety requirements. The Engineering Division of Rosatom State Corporation of Russia is implementing the project as the general contractor. 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. Bangladesh's Science and Technology Minister Yeafesh Osman has recently said that the government is trying to complete the construction work of Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant project within the stipulated timeframe. Read more: Bridge cranes installed at Unit 2 of Rooppur NPP “Due to the Russia-Ukraine war and subsequent dollar crisis, work of the project has been delayed to some extent,” he said while briefing reporters after a joint meeting of his ministry with the Power Division on in November last year at Dhaka’s Bidyut Bhaban.  

Science and Technology Minister Yeafesh Osman on Thursday said that the work of Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) project will not be delayed for turning away sanctioned Russian vessel ‘Ursa Major’. The incident involving Russian vessel ‘Ursa Major’ is not good for anyone, he told reporters after the Deputy Commissioners’ Conference, 2023 at the Osmani Memorial Auditorium in the capital. However, the work of the project will not be delayed due to the incident, he said. “It will be completed within the stipulated time, they (Russia) assured us.” Read more: Rooppur consignment on sanctioned Russian ship may come by road from India Russia’s contract with Bangladesh is that there will be no relationship with them (Russia) until the consignments reach the river port of Ruppoor, Yeafesh Osman said. He said, “We are informed only when those reach our river port. Still, I will say that the incident that happened is not good for anyone. We have told them (Russia) that such incidents should not happen in future.” Sanctioned Russian ship Sparta III (Ursa Major) was scheduled to dock at Mongla port in the southwestern part of the country at the end of December last year and unload cargo destined for the Rooppur NPP in Pabna. Read more: Bangladesh won’t accept those Russian ships which are under sanctions: FM 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. On January 22, Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen said Bangladesh will not accept those Russian ships which are under sanctions, noting that Bangladesh has developed a good relationship with the United States of America (USA). Bangladesh has conveyed to the Russian side that they can send any ship except the sanctioned 69 ships carrying equipment for the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant. Momen hoped that Russia would now send non-sanctioned ships carrying required materials.

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.

Concreting of the inner containment dome of the reactor building has started at the unit- 2 of the Rooppur Nuclear Power plant. The work is being carried out by the TrestRosSEM, a branch of Rosatom Engineering Division. The inner containment is one of the key elements of the nuclear power plant safety system. It protects the reactor compartment and hosts the pipeline holes and the polar crane, used for serving the reactor. According to Rosatom, the Russian contractor of the Rooppur Nuclear Power plant, more than 3,200 cubic meters of concrete will be required for the 17.6m high reinforced concrete structure with a base diameter of 42.8m. “The final stage of building the infrastructure of passive safety system has started,” said Alexei Deriy, Vice President of ASE and Director of the Rooppur NPP construction project. “We will be able to optimize the concreting process by replicating the experience gained in performing similar work, in the reactor building at Power unit 1,” he added. Also read: Deal signed for liquid radioactive waste management at Rooppur NPP Rooppur NPP will be equipped with two Russian VVER-1200 reactors with a total capacity of 2400 MW capacity.  These generation III+ reactors fully comply with all international safety requirements. The Engineering Division of Rosatom State Corporation is implementing the Rooppur NPP as the General Contractor. According 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 was rescheduled to 2024 and second unit to 2025.

A Russian ship carrying machineries for Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) has arrived at Mongla port. This is the first transport of any Russian vessel to Bangladesh since Moscow invaded Ukraine in February this year. The Russian flag carrier, MV Kamilla, carrying 3,328.237 MT of machineries for the power plant, docked at the port’s jetty-6 on Monday afternoon, Sheikh Fakar Uddin, harbour master of Mongla port told UNB. Also read: 1st ship carrying Ukrainian grain leaves the port of Odesa The ship left Russia’s Temryuk port on June 29 and arrived in Bangladesh through Colombo. On October 18, 2021, the last Russian container ship -- MV FESCO ULISS -- carrying equipment for Rooppur NPP arrived in Bangladesh. “From Monday evening, unloading of the machineries from the ship has started,” said harbor master Sheikh Fakar. Also read: Putin extends fast-track Russian citizenship to all Ukraine HM Dulal, the owner of a company contracted for providing labourers to Rooppur NPP, said, "By Wednesday, all machineries will be unloaded from the ship.” There are 13 crew members on the Russian ship and its shipping agent is Conveyor, said the Mongla port authority.

Hydraulic testing of half bodies of Passive Core Flooding System (PCFS) Hydro-accumulators begins at Petrozavodsk Branch of AEM-Technologies, Russia. These are intended for Power Unit – 2 of Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant. Eight PCFS Hydro-accumulators will be installed in each unit. According to  Rosatom, the Russian contractor of the Rooppur NPP, hydraulic test is one of the most important final inspections of the equipment. Also read: Deal signed for liquid radioactive waste management at Rooppur NPP PCFS Hydro-accumulator is filled with specially treated thermally enriched water and the pressure in the vessel is raised up to 4.4 MPa and held for 10 min minimum. After the pressure is released, the outer surface is inspected visually for any leaks and permanent deformations. Hydro-accumulators each having a capacity of 120 cubic meters are manufactured from stainless steel.   It comprises three shells and two heads. Ladders and maintenance platforms as well as other internals are installed within the body. PCFS refers to the second level of NPP passive safety systems. It is intended for the removal of the coolant residual heat of the reactor primary circuit. An aqueous boric acid solution heated to a temperature of approximately 60 degrees is stored in the Hydro-accumulator during operations of the plant. If for any reason the pressure in the primary circuit falls below a certain level, the fluid is automatically fed into the reactor and the active core is cooled down. Rooppur NPP is designed and being constructed by the Engineering Division of the Rosatom State Corporation. Also read: Inner containment dome installed at Unit-2 of Rooppur N-power plant AEM-Technologies has been producing main reactor room equipment for both the units of the power plant. According 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 was rescheduled to 2024 and second unit to 2025.

Works on pre-assembly outer containment dome of unit-1 have started at the Rooppur NPP and the dome is scheduled to be installed in October. According to a release of the Rosatom, assembly and subsequent erection and concreting works are being performed by specialists of Trest RosSEM, a subsidiary of Rosatom Engineering Division of Russia. Also read: Manufacturing of hydro-accumulators of Rooppur NPP underway The Rooppur NPP project is being implemented with the technical and financial assistance from Russia while Rosatom State Corporation Engineering Division is the designer and general contractor of the project. “Installation of the outer containment dome is the final stage of civil works in construction of the power unit. It opens up a possibility for construction of structures and equipment of the passive heat removal systems and marks an important step for the beginning of physical start-up”, said Alexey Deriy, Vice President of ASE and Project Director for Rooppur NPP Construction. The outer containment dome consists of two parts: lower and upper one, which were dubbed as the Skirt and the Headpiece by construction workers. The lower part consists of 12 individual segments, the total weight of each being 18 tons including reinforcements, while the dome part consists of 17 of such segments. The entire dome will be completely assembled on the ground, followed by installation of its lower part at an elevation of +48.880 m. After its alignment and fixing, the upper part will be installed at an elevation of +57.140 m. Upon completion of installation of both the parts, the outer containment dome will be concreted. The stage of outer containment dome preparation, assembly, installation and concreting is one of the longest in the construction of a power unit and amounts to 1,151 days. In order to reduce completion of this stage, RPS project (Optimization of 10UJA outer containment dome structures erection from elevation +16.450 to elevation +64.500 at Rooppur NPP) has been undertaken. Also read: Auxiliary reactor building construction at Rooppur unit-1 ends ahead of schedule The targeted duration of works under the project will be reduced to 584 days only. According to official sources at Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission, the power plant will have two units each having 1,200 MW production capacity. Of these, the first unit is nearing completion and expected to start commercial operations in 2023 while the second unit will be ready in 2024. But recently, the first unit’s operation was rescheduled to 2024 and second unit to 2025.

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.

Concreting of the fifth tier of the inner containment of reactor building at Unit 2 of Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant has been completed. According to a statement of Rosatom, the Russian contractor of the project, it took the specialists of Trest Rossem 23 hours of uninterrupted work to cast 850 m3 of self-compacting concrete mix on December 24. Read: Steam generators installed at Unit-1 of Rooppur NPP “Concreting of the fifth tier of the inner containment from elevation +38.180 to elevation+43.400 was completed significantly ahead of schedule, '' said Alexey Deriy, Vice President of ASE and Director of Rooppur NPP Construction Project. “This is a testament of the high professional level of the specialists of Trest Rossem in Bangladesh and a good example of well-coordinated work of the entire team at the construction site”, he added. Concreting of the fifth tier completes the construction of the cylindrical part of the inner containment- one of the main components of the NPP reactor safety system, which prevents release of radioactive substances into the environment. The dome of the power unit will be installed on it in the next phase. Currently, works are in progress for manufacturing of elements for the containment dome part. It is planned to complete the erection of steel structures of the inner containment dome in the first half of 2022. Read: RPV to be installed in Rooppur nuke plant Sunday Rooppur NPP will have two units, each equipped with a Russian Generation III+ VVER-1200 reactor of 1,200 MW capacity. This evolutionary reactor design fully complies with all the international safety requirements. The General designer and general contractor of the project is Rosatom State Corporation Engineering Division from Russia.