Rooppur enters final stage of power generation, when will commercial operation begin

The Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant has entered the final phase of testing, with preparations underway to supply around 300 megawatts of electricity to the national grid on a trial basis next month.

However, the Bangladesh Atomic Energy Regulatory Authority (BAERA) must review and approve the results of each test before the plant can begin generating power.

According to the Ministry of Science and Technology and plant officials, the loading of nuclear fuel into the reactor vessel of the first unit was completed on 12 May. Once the ongoing tests are completed, a controlled nuclear fission reaction will begin inside the reactor. The heat generated will produce steam to drive turbines and generate electricity, making Bangladesh the world's 33rd nuclear power-producing country.

The authorities aim to begin commercial power generation by December, although officials involved with the project say that timeline may be difficult to meet.

They said the first phase of testing, involving 2,046 tests and the second phase, involving 90 tests, have already been completed. Eighteen complex tests remain in the final stage of the second phase. BAERA is reviewing and approving every stage before the project moves forward.

Various tests will continue even during the trial power supply. Officials expect the trial operation to last seven to eight months, after which one unit is expected to begin supplying electricity at full capacity next year.

Md Jahedul Hasan, managing director of Nuclear Power Plant Company Bangladesh Limited (NPCBL), told Prothom Alo on Saturday that every stage of a nuclear power plant is sensitive, complex and safety-dependent. After each test is completed, its results are analysed.

If necessary, corrections are made before moving on to the next stage. Therefore, it is difficult to specify a production timeline in advance. All testing data is submitted to the regulatory authority for review. Once their approval is received, the power generation process will begin.

Rooppur is the largest single infrastructure project in Bangladesh's history. The project is being implemented by the Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission under the Ministry of Science and Technology, while NPCBL is responsible for its operation.

Russia's Atomstroyexport is constructing two 1,200MW units at the Rooppur site in Pabna.

Rooppur power plant sources said that uninterrupted electricity will be available from the nuclear power plant at a constant rate 24 hours a day. Fresh fuel will need to be supplied every one and a half years. Extracting fuel waste, inserting new fuel and conducting maintenance together may require a unit to be shut down for a maximum of two months.

Used nuclear fuel also contains harmful radioactive materials. Therefore, Russia will take it back under special security measures. They will then process it and bury the harmful radioactive materials 400 meters underground. Bangladesh and Russia signed an agreement to take back the spent nuclear fuel waste on 30 August, 2017 in Moscow. According to this agreement, both countries consented to the repatriation of the waste.

However, the commercial process for taking it back has not yet been finalised. Two responsible officials of the power plant said that the waste cannot be sent back immediately after extraction. It must be kept safely and cooled. They said the fuel can remain securely stored at Rooppur for up to 10 years, allowing both sides to determine the most cost-effective transport arrangements, including shipping costs.

Russia's TVEL will supply nuclear fuel for the plant. The initial fuel supply for the first three years is covered under the construction contract and TVEL will continue supplying fuel under a long-term agreement thereafter.

Plant officials said the agreement obliges TVEL to supply fuel throughout the plant's operational lifetime, although Bangladesh retains the right to withdraw from the contract at any time.

The contract does not specify a fixed fuel price. Instead, prices will be determined using a formula linked to international nuclear fuel prices published in a US-based journal, with an upper price limit included to prevent excessive price increases during periods of market volatility.

In 2011, an inter-governmental cooperation agreement was signed between the governments of Bangladesh and the Russian Federation. Under this agreement, a General Contract for the construction of the nuclear power plant was signed in December 2015 between the Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission and Rosatom’s engineering company, Atomstroyexport.

The initial term for the Rooppur project was until December 2025. An additional agreement was signed on 20 June last year, extending the deadline by two years. In January this year, the project term was extended by another six months to June 2028.

According to the contract, although the term has been extended, there is no scope for increasing the project cost. However, due to the appreciation of the US dollar, project costs have increased by Tk 260 billion. A total of Tk 1,386.86 billion will be spent on the Rooppur power plant.

Power plant officials stated that COVID-19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war disrupted the construction of the power plant. Complications in financial transactions, importing equipment, the arrival of experts and delays in bill payments due to the US dollar crisis have collectively set the work back.

Experts say that if one unit of Rooppur had become operational, USD 1 billion in fuel imports could have been saved annually. However, it has been delayed by three and a half years.

The tariff for electricity generated per unit at Rooppur has not yet been finalised. It will be finalised and a power purchase agreement will be signed with the Power Development Board (PDB) after trial electricity production begins.

However, individuals associated with the power plant say that while the construction cost of a nuclear power plant is high, fuel costs will be low. The price of nuclear power will not exceed the price of electricity generated from other fuels in the country.

According to Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant sources, Power Grid Bangladesh PLC conducted an integrated grid management study in 2016 with support from a Russian specialist firm to safely connect the nuclear power plant to the grid. All subsequent steps have been based on those recommendations.

Regarding this, Power Grid Managing Director Abdur Rashid Khan told Prothom Alo that the grid is fully prepared with the capacity to supply nuclear power.

However, sources at both Rooppur and Power Grid indicate there are some issues with spinning reserves. Spinning reserve is additional generation capacity that is kept ready at all times, even if it is not currently generating electricity. If power generation at Rooppur stops for any reason, these backup plants must begin supplying electricity instantly.

They will compensate for the grid's shortfall and sustain it, otherwise there is a risk of grid failure. The Bangladesh Power Development Board (PDB) is struggling to ensure this spinning reserve due to the gas crisis.

PDB Chairman Md Rezaul Karim told Prothom Alo, "Let production begin from the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant. Initially, it will produce at a very low rate. Therefore, there will be no problem with the spinning reserve."

The Rooppur authorities are considering a formal state inauguration when electricity supply to the national grid begins. Both the prime ministers of Bangladesh and Russia may join this event.

Previously, neither was involved during the fuel loading process. Officials associated with the power plant say it would have been better if they had been involved at that time as well, as the presence of the head of government increases accountability.

Professor Shafiqul Islam of the Department of Nuclear Engineering at Dhaka University told Prothom Alo that there is no scope for the government to announce a fixed production time in advance.

He emphasised that constant surveillance by the regulatory authority is essential right now. Electricity generation can only begin once they provide assurance regarding capacity. If the plant fails any test, the schedule could be pushed back again.

This is the most sensitive and complex phase. Defects must be rigorously verified while maintaining international standards, he said, adding that the delays have already happened. There is no room to rush now, as doing so could lead to mistakes.