Trial power generation has begun at the first unit of the Rooppur nuclear power plant in Ishwardi, Pabna. The work started on Friday afternoon at the first unit of the country’s first nuclear power plant.
On Thursday, the Bangladesh Atomic Energy Regulatory Authority (BAERA) approved the start of “power start-up”, the initial stage of power generation at the first unit.
At this stage, a self-sustaining chain reaction, or nuclear fission, will be started in the reactor for the first time. This begins controlled, continuous production of heat in the reactor, which will later be used to generate electricity.
The project, built with Russian cooperation and following the guidance of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), has completed several stages of testing at its first unit. Work in the latest stage, “Stage B-1”, has also been completed largely successfully, and problems that arose over testing the automatic pressure relief valves have been resolved.
“Stage B-2” will follow, in which the reactor is prepared for initial operation. After that comes the “criticality” process, in which a self-sustaining, controlled nuclear chain reaction is established inside the reactor.
Under the plan, output will be raised step by step, and once it reaches 300 megawatts, supply to the national grid will begin. Required tests and safety conditions must first be met.
Meanwhile, Russia has begun supplying nuclear fuel for the VVER-1200 reactor at the plant’s second unit, in preparation for the initial fuel loading. Russia’s state nuclear energy corporation Rosatom announced this in a statement on Thursday morning.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report