Workers finished assembling the reactor at Rooppur Unit 1. This marks the beginning of another milestone for the project as the power unit is now being prepared for tests.
The workers installed reactor internals, a core barrel and a core baffle, loaded dummy fuel assemblies, and mounted a protective tube unit, an RPV head, and sensors needed for pre-commissioning checks.
“Completing the assembly process and preparing the reactor for key tests is an important step in ensuring the smooth and efficient operation of the power unit. Since we are responsible for making the nuclear power plant safe and reliable, we carefully control every single stage of work, keep building up our competencies, and use time-proven methods and processes that have been repeatedly tested at our construction sites. This will ultimately contribute to a sustainable and prosperous future of the energy industry in Bangladesh,” said Alexey Deriy, Vice President for Bangladesh Projects at AtomStroyExport. The next step will comprise hydraulic tests to check the leak tightness of the reactor unit equipment.
In early November, an auxiliary boiler was put in operation at the Rooppur site to supply process steam for in-house needs. Proper functioning of this boiler is critical for ensuring safe and uninterrupted operation of the nuclear power plant. The steam produced by the boiler is used during the construction phase to carry out the most important pre-commissioning works, such as hot functional tests on the reactor unit and trial vacuum buildup in the turbine condenser. During the operation phase, the boiler is needed for conducting preventive maintenance and supplying hot water to on-site facilities, and also ensures safe operation of the power unit in case of an emergency reactor shutdown.
Bringing the reactor of Unit 1 to criticality is just around the corner. Meanwhile, Rosatom is helping Bangladesh to train employees for the country’s first nuclear power plant. In October, Bangladeshi specialists from the Rooppur NPP Nuclear Safety and Reliability Department completed an internship course with Rosatom’s research and development institute located in Troitsk, Russia. The nuclear industry workers spent three weeks learning the specifics of VVER reactor fuel operation and practicing the use of advanced calculation tools in solving professional tasks. They studied, among other things, the RTOP-SA computer code, which is used to simulate behavior of depressurized fuel rods and release of fission products into the primary coolant circuit in VVER reactors.
With the knowledge and skills acquired, the Bangladeshi specialists will better understand the interrelation of physical processes determining the behavior of nuclear fuel in emergency situations.
“Our trainees can earn the maximum amount of knowledge in this field as the training program comprises both theoretical modules consisting of lectures and review of technical documents, and practical modules that include various tasks to control the tightness of fuel cladding during the reactor operation,” said Kirill Ilyin, General Director of Rosatom’s research institute in Troitsk.
Having completed the training course, the Bangladeshi team passed an exam and received certificates qualifying them to use the RTOP-SA computer code.
Muhammad Sharaf Uddin, Head of the Fuel Cladding Spectrometry and Monitoring Laboratory at the Rooppur NPP, noted that the training courses organized by Rosatom for Rooppur personnel were a great opportunity for them to improve qualifications. “The course curriculum included practical and theoretical components. Every lecture, assignment, training material or guideline was clear, concise and workable to the maximum extent possible. Having necessary competencies and a deep knowledge in their professional field, Rosatom instructors were always ready to answer questions and give detailed explanations. What’s more, the weekend tours organized by the host party were fantastic. Our Russian colleagues put a lot of effort into making our internship as effective and memorable as possible!” Muhammad Sharaf Uddin said.
