Rooppur Nuclear Plant resolves safety valve issue
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After nearly a month of uncertainty, authorities have resolved the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant’s safety valve issue by completing high-pressure testing on Wednesday night, clearing the path to supply electricity from the first unit to the national grid.
Officials reported that the test of the pressure-operated relief valve, or safety valve, of the first unit at the nuclear power plant at 19 megapascals of pressure began on Tuesday night and concluded on Wednesday.
The test was conducted from both the main control room and the emergency control room. After finding the performance of the control valves satisfactory, the reaction of the main safety valve, its opening and closing operations, and warning signals were observed.
A project official said the test was carried out in accordance with prescribed procedures and necessary safety conditions. Prior to and during the test, all types of security and safety aspects, including communication systems, fire safety, and radiation safety, were verified.
The official added, “Because it is directly related to maintaining safe pressure in the reactor’s primary system, the completion of this test is a crucial step in the commissioning process.”
He noted that no compromise will be made with safety despite efforts to maintain the schedule. In the next phase, another test around 18 megapascals of pressure is scheduled to take place. The commissioning team is proceeding by verifying every stage.
Earlier, nationwide concern mounted over the defect in the safety valve. In early September, at a press conference in Dhaka’s Agargaon, Science and Technology Minister Faqir Mahbub Anam said due to this flaw, the timeline for initiating electricity supply from the first unit to the national grid was being delayed, though he could not provide a specific timeframe at that time.
After loading fuel into the first unit in April, electricity was supposed to be fed into the grid experimentally starting in September, but that plan fell through as two safety valves of the reactor failed to function.
Later in mid-September, the minister disclosed that power generation would not be possible, and it remained uncertain when it would become feasible. During this period, a fire incident also occurred in the project area.
Stakeholders had expressed fear that the delay in the first unit might impact the second unit as well, because the second unit was already lagging behind its scheduled timeline. To handle the situation, following discussions with Russia, a five-member team of Russian experts arrived at Rooppur on 22 September. Ultimately, the issue was resolved through the joint efforts of Bangladeshi and Russian engineers.
Earlier, with the goal of commissioning the first unit, the Russian nuclear engineering contractor had even proposed transferring a valve from the second unit to the first unit.
Meanwhile, the first shipment of nuclear fuel, or uranium, for the second unit is scheduled to arrive at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport on Friday in Dhaka.
According to Russia’s state atomic energy corporation Rosatom, there is a plan to transport all the fuel for the second unit into the country between October and December across a total of seven special flights.
