Progress in the construction of the country's first nuclear power plant is continuing in full swing with the addition of more manufacturing equipment amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

Assembling and welding of spherical casings of reactor coolant pumps (RCP), and local heat treatment of bottom weld of one of the steam generators for Unit-1 of  the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant have been completed in Russia recently.  

The reactor coolant pump is a rotary machine which circulates the reactor coolant at high temperature and pressure in a PWR nuclear power plant. A reactor coolant pump consists of a vertical shaft and a single-stage suction diffuser with excellent hydraulic efficiency.

The power plant is being implemented in Rooppur of Pabna district by a subsidiary of Russia’s State Atomic Energy Corporation, Rosatom.  AEM-technology is a part of Atomenergomash- an engineering division of Russia’s state atomic energy corporation Rosatom.

According to Rosatom, assembling and welding of spherical casings of reactor coolant pumps (RCP) were done at “AEM-technology” “Petrozavodskmash.” Weld joints successfully passed all necessary tests.

The RCP casings are now subject to heat treatment at a temperature of up to 640 degrees Centigrade in a furnace for 7-8 hours. Rooppur NPP Unit-1 will have four RCP spherical casings.

On the other hand, at ‘AEM-technology’ ‘Atommash’ bottom part was welded to the steam generator vessel before the local heat treatment of the weld joint, which is a mandatory operation to relieve stress in the welded joint. The volume heat treatment in the furnace is not possible due to the thin-walled stainless SG tubes installed inside the vessel. Local heat treatment includes not only gradual heating of the weld, but also gradual cooling of the joint. The entire process takes one and a half to two days.

Steam Generator will now undergo test operations: evacuation and helium tests, as well as eddy current test of SG tubes. Each unit of Rooppur NPP will have four steam generators.

Despite the countrywide prevailing coronavirus threat, construction works of the country’s first nuclear power plant is going on uninterrupted.

The Rooppur NPP authority has taken all necessary measures to prevent the spread of corona infection at the site, following the Bangladesh Government and WHO guidelines.

The government hopes at least 1200MW of one unit of electricity from the first nuclear plant will be added to the national grid by 2023. The second with the same amount of power will be launched by 2024.

Manufacturing of various machine components and equipment is running in full swing in Russia. Some of them have already reached Bangladesh; some have been shipped and others are still in the manufacturing process. The first reactor with 3 steam turbines and its related equipment will reach Bangladesh by November, Rosatom officials said.

Rooppur nuclear power plant project official said “There will be two reactors with 8 steam turbines. We hope the first reactor with 3 steam turbines will reach here within November. The second reactor and other five steam turbines will reach in phases. By this time the first reactor would have been installed.”

Once the nuke plant goes into operation, it will offer a window of opportunity, such as ensuring uninterrupted electricity supply to over 15 lakh families and jobs for a large number of people.

Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant is planned and being constructed according to Russian design. The plant will have two power units with the latest generation 3+ VVER 1200 reactor, which will fully meet all international safety requirements.