BAERA begins final inspection on RNPP Report

Bangladesh Atomic Energy Regulatory Authority (BAERA) begins final inspection, a mandatory task to initiate self-sustaining nuclear chain reaction as the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant (RNPP).

RNPP,  a $12.65 billion power plant project constructed in Ishwardi Upazila, Pabna, with financial and technical support from the Russian Federation--entered a multi-step operational commissioning process required to reach full power generation.

RNPP has completed fuel loading, the required tests, and is preparing to enter the criticality stage, a key milestone before electricity generation begins---“Criticality” is the operating state of a nuclear reactor in which nuclear fuel sustains a self-supporting fission chain reaction.

“The first criticality begins with a self-sustaining chain reaction at zero power. During the second criticality, the reactor operates at low power to heat water without producing steam, with every stage closely monitored to ensure there are no technical defects, he said adding that if all systems function as expected, the reactor will then be brought to higher power levels to generate steam, which drives the turbines to produce electricity Explaining the process to the local media,” Dr Md Shafiqul Islam, Department of Nuclear Engineering at Dhaka University told media on Friday.

“It takes a minimum of several months to reach final power generation from first criticality. He said that the success of the entire project will depend on each step being completed correctly,” the scientist said. As Bangladesh's first nuclear power plant, it features two VVER-1200 reactors designed to generate a combined 2,400 MW of electricity.