Safety valve failure delays Rooppur Nuclear Plant Launch
Graphics: Agamir Somoy
The government has pinned its hopes on Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant for a September startup, but a critical safety valve has failed testing for one and a half months and replacing it will take months - leaving the project at a standstill.
Along with this, several important maintenance and operation contracts remain pending. As a result, the wait is growing even longer. Experts said too much time has already been taken to start the plant, and in the interest of the country, it is necessary to start power generation here as quickly as possible.
Consumers Association of Bangladesh (CAB) Energy Adviser M Shamsul Alam told Agamir Somoy, “At this moment, to reduce electricity load shedding and costs, Rooppur’s power has become obligatory. This will reduce fuel import costs as well as the price of electricity. Although the plant was scheduled to open much earlier, the time and cost of this plant have been increased under various pretexts.
“There are allegations of embezzlement of funds against many officials. But the Ministry of Science and Technology is inactive. Due to this electricity not coming on time, consumers are being damaged along with national financial losses.”
The largest single project in the nation’s history, Rooppur, is being implemented by the Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission under the Ministry of Science and Technology. Russia’s state-owned nuclear energy corporation Rosatom’s associate company, Atomstroyexport, is constructing the project with financial and technical assistance from Russia.
When contacted on Monday to inquire about the overall situation, Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission Chairman (routine duty) M Moinul Islam declined to comment and advised speaking with project-related officials.
Attempts were made multiple times over the last two days to get a statement from Project Director Md Kabir Hossain, but his comments could not be obtained.
An official of the commission said Rooppur is not like other power plants. Various tests and analysis are ongoing to ensure all types of safety. Only after these critical tests are completed can it be said when production will begin, and it is not possible to specify a date before that.
In a nuclear power plant, the safety valve regulates the pressure inside the reactor. If abnormal pressure builds up in the cooling system, it automatically opens to safely vent the extra pressure. As a result, this device plays a vital role in preventing pipe bursts or major accidents. For every potential hazard, there are multiple layers of safety systems in a nuclear power plant.
A complication has arisen in Rooppur mainly regarding this safety valve. Discussions with officials from the Ministry of Science and Technology, the Atomic Energy Commission, and project-related officials revealed that despite trying in various ways for over one month, the valve has failed to pass quality tests.
While trying alternative arrangements, attempts are also being made to run the tests again. Officials added that safety valves for state-of-the-art nuclear power plants like Rooppur are mainly manufactured by Ukraine, Turkey, and Germany.
Initially, Russia placed the manufacturing order in Ukraine. However, when the war with Ukraine began, production fell through. Later, it was brought from Turkey.
Attempts are being made to bring another new safety valve. However, it generally takes six to eight months to manufacture such a valve. Therefore, if the current valve cannot be utilized, they will have to wait for that duration for the new one. Even if the current valve can be utilized, it will take about two and a half months to go into production.
This is because after successfully completing all tests, it also takes eight to 10 weeks to supply power to the national grid. Two officials of the Atomic Energy Commission, on the condition of anonymity, said given the progress made so far, there is almost no possibility of the power plant starting this year.
The power generation capacity in the country is about 29,000 megawatts. Although the average peak demand is 16,000-16,500 megawatts, power cannot be generated as per demand due to the fuel crisis. This is causing an average of 2,500-3,000 megawatts of load shedding.
Due to disruptions in LNG supply, load shedding increased to 3,757 megawatts on 10 August. Although it decreased later, life and industrial production are being disrupted by the electricity crisis. To increase power generation, gas supply to industries has been reduced, which has created a gas crisis in factories as well.
Moreover, the use of furnace oil in power generation has increased, raising the pressure of losses and subsidies. The situation has become even more difficult as LNG prices in the global market have risen due to Iran war.
Under these circumstances, if the 2,400-megawatt capacity Rooppur goes into production, the crisis will be largely mitigated. In addition, experts believe that fuel import costs of about Tk 1,000 crore per month can be saved. Although the price of Rooppur’s electricity has not been determined yet, it will be cheaper compared to electricity based on LNG, coal, and oil.
Once fuel is loaded in Rooppur, it is possible to generate electricity continuously for about one and a half years before the fuel must be changed. According to the terms of the construction contract, the first two shipments, meaning three years of fuel, will be supplied by the Russian company TVEL.
Rooppur has two units of 1,200-megawatt capacity. According to the original schedule, the first unit was supposed to start in December 2022 and the second unit in October 2023. But due to various reasons, including the Covid pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war, the deadline has been pushed back repeatedly.
Since then, the deadline has been postponed at least seven times. Under the BNP government, the work of entering nuclear fuel was completed on 12 May. At the time, it was said 300 megawatts of electricity from the first unit would be added to the national grid on August.
Later, the production time was deferred to next month. Now, major uncertainty has arisen over that as well. As the first unit is delayed, the schedule of the second unit is also being pushed back.
After starting the plant, experimental power generation and various tests will continue for seven to eight months. After that, commercial production at full capacity will begin. If both units are launched, Rooppur is expected to provide 2,100-2,200 megawatts of uninterrupted electricity.
On the condition of anonymity, a former official of the Atomic Energy Commission said, “Controlled fission reaction is supposed to start in the reactor within 45 days of fuel loading. After that, following tests, electricity is ruled to be added to the national grid within three months.
“By that calculation, production was supposed to start in August, if not by the end of July. In a Belarus power plant using the same technology, electricity was added to the grid in less than three months, and it took about seven more months to reach full capacity.”
Officials added that although Rooppur’s technology is proven, such a complication has not been seen in Bangladesh. Questions have also been raised about the stockpiling of spare parts, the inefficiency of the project director, and the lack of coordination among officials.
Although the current director, Md Kabir Hossain, has no field-level experience, he was given the responsibility. There was objection to this appointment from the beginning. He was given the responsibility by bypassing three experienced officials.
Although the term of this $ 12.65 billion plant has been extended by four years, there is no scope to increase the project cost under the contract. But due to the rise in dollar prices, the cost of the project in local currency has risen to Tk 1,38,686 crore.
Due to the delay in production, the normal lifespan of various equipment of the plant is also decreasing. Experts believe that Bangladesh is also suffering financially for not coming into production at the scheduled time.
As a result, Rooppur is now not just a power project; it is a name of great expectation in tackling the country’s power and fuel crisis. But even after pushing back the time repeatedly, that expectation is now facing uncertainty as it cannot go into production.
