BAEC's decision to import N-fuel for test run of  RNPP irks ROSATOM

Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission (BAEC)'s announcement to bring the first shipment of nuclear fuel for test run of the Rooppur plant 'this September' has irked the ROSATOM, the state-owned Atomic Energy Corporation of the Russian Federation.

Terming the delivery of nuclear fuel to the nuclear power plant as a complex multi-level process Alexey Deriy, Atomstroyexport Vice President and Director of Rooppur NPP Construction Project said, "It should meet all international safety standards. The fuel will not be shipped and delivered to the Rooppur NPP until all necessary inspections and scheduled procedures have been completed."

In a statement, he further informed that the acceptance inspection will be held in Novosibirsk Russia in the near future, without mentioning the date. The engineering division of ROSATOM is implementing the project as the general contractor.

Rooppur NPP equipped with two VVER-1200 reactors with a total capacity of 2,400 MW is being constructed under the Russian design. VVER 1,200 is an evolutionary generation III+ design that fully complies with all the international safety requirements.

According to the authority, the Rooppur NPP will require 70 to 80 tonnes of uranium annually, uranium being loaded into the reactors every 18 months.
    
However, each kilogram of uranium (sourced from Russia) will cost the government US$550. The 2,400 MW nuclear power project worth $13.5 billion is the biggest and the costliest power project in the country. Its construction began in 2017.

Shawkat Akbar, Project Director of the plant told media on July 14 that "This [permission] is another milestone. Now there is no bar to import nuclear fuel for Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant by September this year." (Following the announcement of BAEC's permission to import nuclear fuel from Russia and store it for Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant) he said, according to the media report.

Bangladesh Atomic Energy Regulatory Authority (BAERA) recently issued the Class B, D, and E licences to the Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission (BAEC) for handling, storage, and transportation of nuclear fuel for the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant.

However, Class B licence authorizes the purchase, ownership, handling, and storage of nuclear materials, Class D licence allows a Russian transport company to transport nuclear materials, while Class E provides for the authority of nuclear materials import.

Earlier, the government announced that the uranium will be transported in a specially designed container aboard a dedicated aircraft to Dhaka's Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport. The Bangladesh Army will supervise the transportation of the containers, it will send to the plant by road to Rooppur, under Ishwardi upazila of Pabna district.

"The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) will oversee the entire operation to ensure its compliance with safety protocols, however, the transportation method of nuclear fuel is considered a confidential matter due to security concerns," Science and Technology Minister Yeafesh Osman said.

Meanwhile, the government is likely to bear the entire risk of potential financial losses resulting from any damage to fuel imported for the Rooppur plant during its transportation from Dhaka airport to the project area by road as the government is not considering insurance coverage for the fuel's transportation.

It is waiting for the "financial assurance letter" from the Finance Ministry to guarantee compensation for any damage that may occur during the transportation process.

Under the BAER Act-2012, the maximum financial loss for each accident during the fuel transportation, storage, use, commissioning, operation and maintenance of the Rooppur NPP is set at $300 million Special Drawing Rights (SDR).

An International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) mission said Bangladesh is committed to continuous improvement of nuclear and radiation safety. The mission also noted areas where improvements could be made to enhance the national nuclear and radiation safety regulatory infrastructure, as the country constructs its first nuclear power plant (NPP).

The Integrated Regulatory Review Service (IRRS) team concluded missions to Bangladesh in December, 2022 and June 2023 at the request of the government of Bangladesh to assess Bangladesh's regulatory framework for safety against IAEA safety standards.