The Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant
( bn, রূপপুর পারমাণবিক বিদ্যুৎকেন্দ্র) will be a 2.4
GWe
The watt (symbol: W) is the unit of power or radiant flux in the International System of Units (SI), equal to 1 joule per second or 1 kg⋅m2⋅s−3. It is used to quantify the rate of energy transfer. The watt is named after James W ...
nuclear power plant in
Bangladesh
Bangladesh (}, ), officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the eighth-most populous country in the world, with a population exceeding 165 million people in an area of . Bangladesh is among the mos ...
. The nuclear power plant is being constructed at Rooppur of
Ishwardi
Ishwardi ( bn, ঈশ্বরদী, Urdu: ایشوردی, ''Ish-shordi)'' is an upazila of Pabna District in Rajshahi Division. It is the westernmost upazila of Pabna district. Containing railway divisional headquarters, this city is a very i ...
upazila in
Pabna District, on the bank of the river
Padma, west of
Dhaka
Dhaka ( or ; bn, ঢাকা, Ḍhākā, ), formerly known as Dacca, is the capital and largest city of Bangladesh, as well as the world's largest Bengali-speaking city. It is the eighth largest and sixth most densely populated city ...
. It will be the country's first
nuclear power plant
A nuclear power plant (NPP) is a thermal power station in which the heat source is a nuclear reactor. As is typical of thermal power stations, heat is used to generate steam that drives a steam turbine connected to a electric generator, generato ...
, and the first of the two units is expected to go into operation in 2024.
[ The VVER-1200/523 ]Nuclear reactor
A nuclear reactor is a device used to initiate and control a fission nuclear chain reaction or nuclear fusion reactions. Nuclear reactors are used at nuclear power plants for electricity generation and in nuclear marine propulsion. Heat from nu ...
and critical infrastructures are being built by the Russia
Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...
n Rosatom State Atomic Energy Corporation. In the main construction period, the total number of employees will reach 12,500, including 2,500 specialists from Russia
Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...
. It is expected to generate around 15% of the country's electricity when completed.
History
Planning
The plan to establish a nuclear power plant in the then East Pakistan was made in 1961. In 1963, the Rooppur village of the Pabna district was selected for the proposed plant and of land was acquired. The plan was to establish a 200MW nuclear power plant in the selected site. Discussions took place with the Government of Canada from 1964 to 1966. Discussions with the governments of Sweden and Norway were also going on in those years. However, no real progress was made. In 1970, the project was scrapped.
After the independence of Bangladesh Independence of Bangladesh was declared on 26 March 1971, celebrated as Independence Day, from Pakistan. The Independence Day of Bangladesh is celebrated on 26 March when Sheikh Mujibur Rahman declared the Independence of Bangladesh. The Bangladesh ...
, the Government of Bangladesh
Bangladesh (}, ), officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the eighth-most populous country in the world, with a population exceeding 165 million people in an area of . Bangladesh is among the mos ...
started discussion with the Soviet Union
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national ...
in 1974, but no agreement was reached. In 1976–77, the French company ''Sofratom'' conducted a feasibility study and found the project at Rooppur feasible. In 1980, a 125 MW nuclear power plant project was approved. However, this effort also did not materialize. In the 1987-88 period, another feasibility study was conducted and the decision was taken to construct a 300 to 500 MW nuclear power plant. In 1998, steps were taken to construct a 600 MW power plant. The ''nuclear action plan'' was approved in 2000.
In 2005, Bangladesh signed a nuclear cooperation agreement with China. In 2007, the Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission (BAEC) proposed two 500 MW nuclear reactors for Rooppur by 2015. In 2008, China offered funding for the project. Instead, the Bangladesh government started discussion with the Russia
Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...
n government a year later and on 13 February the two governments signed a memorandum of understanding. Rosatom
Rosatom, ( rus, Росатом, p=rɐsˈatəm}) also known as Rosatom State Nuclear Energy Corporation, the State Atomic Energy Corporation Rosatom or Rosatom State Corporation, is a Russian state corporation headquartered in Moscow that speciali ...
said they would start construction by 2013.
In 2011, International Atomic Energy Agency
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is an intergovernmental organization that seeks to promote the peaceful use of nuclear energy and to inhibit its use for any military purpose, including nuclear weapons. It was established in 1957 ...
conducted ''IAEA Integrated Nuclear Infrastructure Review (INIR)'' mission in Bangladesh. Later on, IAEA approved a technical assistance project for the Rooppur nuclear power plant. In 2013 a group of Bangladeshi scientists and the global diaspora voiced profound concern over the safety and economic viability of the plant.
Voice for Justice World Forum, 30 June 2013 Several separate issues were raised, from the unsuitability of the site to the obsolescence of the VVER, VVER-1000 model proposed, questionable financing arrangements and a lack of agreement with Russia over nuclear waste disposal.
In 2015, the proposal was delayed by a year. Rosatom offered a two VVER-1200 reactor power plant, increasing output to 2.4 GWe. On December 25, 2015, representatives of the Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission and the Russian state nuclear corporation Rosatom signed the contract for the construction of the Rooppur nuclear power plant worth the equivalent of US$12.65 billion. Three days later, '' The Daily Star'' echoed criticism from Germany-based Transparency International about increased costs, from statements of around US$4 billion made earlier in the same year. Transparency International also expressed concern about the safety of the proposed plant.
Construction
In 2016 ground preparation work commenced. The $12.65 billion contract is 90% funded by a loan from the Russian government. The two units generating 2.4 GWe are planned to be operational in 2024 and 2025. Rosatom will operate the units for the first year before handing over to Bangladeshi operators. Russia will supply the nuclear fuel and take back spent nuclear fuel.
On 4 November 2017, Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission
Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission is a scientific research organization and regulatory body of Bangladesh. Its main objective is to promote use of atomic energy for peaceful purposes It was established on 27 February 1973, after the independen ...
received, from Bangladesh Atomic Energy Regulatory Authority
Bangladesh Atomic Energy Regulatory Authority () is a Bangladesh government regulatory agency under the Ministry of Science and Technology responsible for regulating nuclear energy in Bangladesh.
History
The Bangladesh Atomic Energy Regulatory A ...
, the design and construction license of Unit 1, paving the way for the nuclear island first concrete pour.
The nuclear reactor
A nuclear reactor is a device used to initiate and control a fission nuclear chain reaction or nuclear fusion reactions. Nuclear reactors are used at nuclear power plants for electricity generation and in nuclear marine propulsion. Heat from nu ...
and critical infrastructure are being built by Russia
Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...
n companies. Atomenergomash
Atomenergomash (AEM) (russian: Атомэнергомаш) is a power engineering Russian company. Аtomenergomash JSC (AEM Holding company, AEM, Group) is a Russian power engineering company, a supplier of products for nuclear and thermal power ...
is the engineering division of Russia
Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...
's state nuclear corporation, Rosatom
Rosatom, ( rus, Росатом, p=rɐsˈatəm}) also known as Rosatom State Nuclear Energy Corporation, the State Atomic Energy Corporation Rosatom or Rosatom State Corporation, is a Russian state corporation headquartered in Moscow that speciali ...
. This company is the supplier of all the equipment for the reactor compartment of Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant and a significant part of the equipment for the machine room. Over 70 tenders have been issued for ‘non-critical’ works where Bangladesh
Bangladesh (}, ), officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the eighth-most populous country in the world, with a population exceeding 165 million people in an area of . Bangladesh is among the mos ...
i and India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
n construction companies can participate.
On 14 July 2018, the first concrete was poured for Unit 2. The following month, Rosatom began installing a 200-tonne core catcher as the first large piece of equipment in the reactor building of Rooppur 1, describing it as "a unique protection system".
When the COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
struck Bangladesh in early 2020, many projects such as the Dhaka Metro Rail
Dhaka Metro Rail ( bn, ঢাকা মেট্রোরেল), colloquially known as the Dhaka Metro ( bn, ঢাকা মেট্রো) is a mass rapid transit (MRT) system serving Dhaka, Bangladesh. Together with the city's planned sub ...
were stalled, but the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant remained on track to be completed by 2023. Progress in this period includes Rosatom's engineering company Atommash
Atommash (russian: «Атоммаш») is a multidisciplinary engineering company located in Volgodonsk, Rostov Oblast, Russia. It was established in 1976 as a nuclear engineering corporation. Following privatization and bankruptcy in 1999, t ...
completing hydraulic tests for Rooppur unit 1.
Safety
VVER-1200/523 is one of the latest Generation III+ nuclear reactor. Design feature of the nuclear reactor is layered safety barriers preventing escape of radioactive material. The reactor has five layers:
# Fuel pellets: Radioactive elements are retained within the crystal structure of the fuel pellets.
# Fuel rods: The zircaloy tubes provide a further barrier resistant to heat and high pressure.
# Reactor shell: a massive steel shell encases the whole fuel assembly hermetically.
# Core catcher: A core catcher is a device provided to catch the molten core material ( corium) of a nuclear reactor in case of a nuclear meltdown
A nuclear meltdown (core meltdown, core melt accident, meltdown or partial core melt) is a severe nuclear reactor accident that results in core damage from overheating. The term ''nuclear meltdown'' is not officially defined by the Internation ...
and prevent it from escaping the containment building.
# Reactor building: A concrete containment building is the last line of defence. It prevents escape of radiation
In physics, radiation is the emission or transmission of energy in the form of waves or particles through space or through a material medium. This includes:
* ''electromagnetic radiation'', such as radio waves, microwaves, infrared, visi ...
. It also protects from external damages.
The nuclear part of the plant is housed in a single building acting as containment and missile shield. Besides the reactor and steam generators this includes an improved refueling machine, and the computerized reactor control systems. Likewise protected in the same building are the emergency systems, including an emergency core cooling system, emergency backup diesel power supply, and backup feed water supply. A passive heat removal system had been added to the VVER-1200. The system is based on a cooling system and water tanks built on top of the containment dome. The passive systems handle all safety functions for 24 hours, and core safety for 72 hours.
Other new safety systems include aircraft crash protection, hydrogen recombiners, and a core catcher to contain the molten reactor core in the event of a severe accident. Russia's arms manufacturer Almaz-Antey to install cooling systems for Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant.
Economics
The US$12.65 billion project will be constructed with Russian loan amounting US$11.38 billion and the rest will be financed by the Bangladesh government.
With over 90% utilization factor, the power plant is expected to generate 19 billion kWh annually. Levelized Cost of Electricity(LCOE) is 56.73 (USD/MWh)
Planned nuclear power reactors
Research
Bangladesh's development strategy sees the country becoming a middle-income nation by 2021, in large part by emphasis on its science and technology sector to drive economic growth. The ministry of science and technology (MoST) estimated in 2014 that US$6.2 billion will be needed in the next decade to achieve the goals of Vision 2021. The Science and Technology Act 2010 is helping to boost this, and MoST is now allocating over $150 million per year to nuclear technology development as gas reserves become depleted. The power plant will also promote the local economy of Rooppur, Pabna.
The country has had a TRIGA 3 MW research reactor operational since 1986.Nuclear Power in Bangladesh
/ref>
Controversy
See also
* Rooppur pillow scandal
In 2019, newspapers and netizens of Bangladesh alleged that an excess of was spent on the construction of residential areas for Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant, which is Bangladesh's first nuclear power plant. The allegations and further events bec ...
* Nuclear energy in Bangladesh
Bangladesh first conceived building a nuclear power plant in 1961. The Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission was established in 1973. The country currently operates a TRIGA research reactor at the Atomic Energy Research Establishment in Savar.
Mo ...
* Kaptai dam
* Mymensingh Power Station
Mymensingh Power Station Bengali, ময়মনসিংহ বিদ্যুৎ কেন্দ্র) is a 210 megawatt gas-fired power station in Mymensingh, Bangladesh.
It is powered by Rural Power company limited Bangladesh
See also
# ...
* Matarbari Power Plant The Matarbari Power Plant is a 1,200 megawatt (2x600) coal-fired power station under construction in Maheshkhali Upazila of Cox's Bazar District in southeastern Bangladesh
Bangladesh (}, ), officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, ...
* Payra Power Plant
The Payra 1320 MW thermal power plant is a 1,320 megawatt coal-fired power station built in Kalapara Upazila of Patuakhali District in southern Bangladesh. It is a joint venture between the North-West Power Generation Company Bangladesh Limited ...
* Raozan Power Plant
Raozan Power Station is a gas-fired thermal power station in Bangladesh. It is located in Raozan Upazila of Chattogram District north-east from Chattogram on the south side of the Chattogram–Kaptai Upazila, Kaptai Highway. It is owned and opera ...
* Rampal Power Station
* List of megaprojects in Bangladesh
This is a list of megaprojects. "(i.e. projects) characterized by: large investment commitment, vast complexity (especially in organizational terms), and long-lasting impact on the economy, the environment, and society". The number of such projects ...
References
{{Electricity generation in Bangladesh
Nuclear power in Bangladesh
Nuclear power stations with reactors under construction
Proposed power stations in Bangladesh