Operating licence issued for Bangladesh's first nuclear power unit

The checks included verifying "system design characteristics after the reactor unit had been run at nominal parameters. Dummy fuel assemblies were unloaded from the reactor core, and commissioning work on the handling and transport equipment was completed. The refuelling machine was tested in dry and underwater modes, confirming it is ready to handle nuclear fuel. Boric acid flushing of the primary circuit was successfully completed, ensuring no chemically demineralised water remained in the system", Rosenergoatom, which is part of Russian state nuclear corporation Rosatom, said.

The licence was issued by the Bangladesh Nuclear Regulatory Authority on 16 April. The Nuclear Power Corporation of Bangladesh said the launch of the first unit will mark "a significant milestone in the development of nculear power generation in the country".

Alexey Deriy, Vice President for Bangladesh Projects at Rosatom's Atomstroyexport, said: "The next stage for unit 1 will be first criticality, when 163 fuel assemblies containing nuclear fuel are loaded into the reactor core. During 2026, the unit will be brought to minimum controlled power, followed by power start-up and grid connection."

According to reports in Bangladesh-based media, fuel loading is scheduled to begin within the next few days.

There are a number of stages of checks and tests in the commissioning process for a nuclear power reactor - all taking place under strict regulatory oversight. And these continue after first criticality, with new units having their power increased in stages, with safety tests and checks at each level before the power output is increased.

Background

In February 2011 Russia's Rosatom signed an agreement for two reactors to be built at Rooppur, about 160 kilometres from the capital Dhaka, for the Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission. The initial contract for the project, worth USD12.65 billion, was signed in December 2015. The Bangladesh Atomic Regulatory Authority issued the first site licence for the Rooppur plant in June 2016, allowing preliminary site works, including geological surveys, to begin.

Construction of the first unit began in November 2017. Construction of the second unit began in July 2018. They have an initial life-cycle of 60 years, with a further 20-year extension possible.

The first batch of nuclear fuel was delivered to the site in October 2023 - the moment that the site got its status as a nuclear facility. In March last year, Rooppur unit 1's turbine installation was completed, as were hydraulic tests to check the primary circuit systems and equipment, followed by hot functional tests. Rosatom has included grid connection for Rooppur unit 1 as one of its key targets for the current year.