Last reactor on its way to Bangladesh from Russia

The Volgodonsk branch of Russia's AEM-Technology JSC has dispatched the final and last reactor pressure vessel and other components for Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant’s (RNPP) second unit for the Bangladesh construction site.

Components also include the first two steam generators for the VVER 1200 reactor of the second unit are set to arrive in Bangladesh.

RNPP Project Director Shaukat Akbar confirmed the matter to the media on Tuesday.

According to sources, it took a total of 2 years to build the reactor pressure vessel, in a process that included 768 operations and 143 controlling points. 

The vessel has gone through various stages of quality assurance and testing, including hydraulic tests with levels higher than the vessel’s working pressure.

In the hydraulic test, a pressure of 24.5MPa is generated inside the reactor, which is 1.4 times higher than the standard working pressure of the vessel.

The last step in preparing the parts is to experimentally arrange the internal parts. Experts from the plant, including representatives from Bangladesh, inspected the equipment after construction.

The reactor vessel weighs 320 tons, and measures 12 meters long. The steam generators weigh 340 tons each, and are 14 metres long.

The components will be taken to the Novorossiysk port initially, and from there they will be shipped to Bangladesh in a 14,000 kilometre journey by sea.

AEM-Technology JSC Director General Igor Katov said: "Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant is the first nuclear power plant project in Bangladesh. We are very committed to any queries and requests from our Bangladeshi partners in this endeavor."

“As per the terms of the agreement, the main parts of the second unit of this nuclear power plant are being sent on time, and we have sent the components in a way that was suitable for our workflow. This shipment is a thank you to Bangladesh for trusting us throughout the entire process. So far, this is the last run of this volume,” he added.

He said: “This is our first step with the representatives of Bangladesh in the nuclear industry and I believe we will maintain this good relationship in the future.”

AEM-Technology JSC is the only company in Russia that manufactures all of the components for steam generating plants.

The RNPP is being designed and built according to a Russian project. The design and construction of the facility are carried out by the engineering division of Rosatom.