Experimental power production has commenced at the first unit of the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant in Pabna. This process began on Friday (October 30) at 12 PM, following the completion of the second phase of nuclear reaction.
Science and Technology Minister Fakir Mahbub Anam confirmed this to Channel Twentyfour on Friday afternoon.
The Minister stated that, by the grace of God, the second phase of the nuclear reaction was completed at 12 PM. Following this, the process of controlled energy production, or electricity generation, will gradually begin.
Earlier, on Thursday (October 29), the Bangladesh Atomic Energy Regulatory Authority (BAERA) approved the commencement of the power production process at the first unit of the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant.
At this stage, a self-sustaining chain reaction, or atomic fission process, was initiated for the first time. This marks the gradual, controlled, and stable commencement of energy production within the nuclear reactor.
According to project sources, ‘Stage B-1’ of the first unit of the project, built with Russian cooperation and following the guidelines of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), has been largely successfully completed. The complexity of the automatic pressure relief valve test has also been overcome.
Subsequently, ‘Stage B-2’ operations have commenced. In this phase, the nuclear reactor is prepared for initial operation, followed by the initiation of criticality or a self-sustaining nuclear chain reaction process.
As per the plan, commercial power supply to the national grid will begin incrementally after the production capacity is increased step by step to reach 300 megawatts.
Meanwhile, Russia has begun supplying nuclear fuel for the initial fuel loading of the VVER-1200 reactor at the second unit of the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant. Russia’s state nuclear energy corporation, Rosatom, announced this in a statement last Thursday.
With the commencement of experimental production in the first unit and the supply of fuel for the second unit, these two advancements mark a new phase in the operations of the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant.
