IAEA team reviews safety issues of Rooppur N-power plant

A top official of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) arrived Dhaka to conduct a pre-operational safety review and inspect the preparatory work of the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant (RNPP) plant.

"The team will inspect all the safety issues of the plant's structural, technical and equipment-related preparation and documentation as per the IAEA's safety standards," project director Md. Zahedul Hassan told media.

Hassan said a further, final safety review would be held two to three months before the loading of nuclear fuel into the plant's twin reactors, which is still unfixed.

According to the official, the test run will commence once the IAEA, the global watchdog for any atomic energy-related power plant, visits the project site and certifies it as a nuclear power plant built according to IAEA guidelines and national and international obligations.

In 2001, Bangladesh adopted a Nuclear Power Action Plan considering the role of nuclear power as vital for the country's long-term energy security and sustainable development.

"It had a clear understanding of the requirements for nuclear power plant construction according to IAEA guidelines and national and international obligations. Acknowledging the importance of an appropriate, phased, and comprehensive approach to the development of national nuclear power infrastructure, Bangladesh took steps to establish this infrastructure based on the widely used IAEA document 'Milestones in the Development of a National Infrastructure for Nuclear Power' (IAEA Nuclear Energy Series No. NG-G-3.1). 

Accordingly, the nuclear infrastructure development activities of Bangladesh were divided into three progressive phases, outlining 19 infrastructure issues to be addressed in each phase," a senior RNPP official said, preferring anonymity.

According to current legislation in Bangladesh, namely the Bangladesh Atomic Energy Regulatory (BAER) Act-2012, the prime responsibility for the safety of a nuclear installation lies with the Bangladesh Atomic Energy Regulatory Authority (BAERA).
 
The Rooppur plant, a $12.65 billion project was the most expensive infrastructure project in energy sector in Bangladesh, 90 percent funded by a loan from Moscow.