Sites found for modular reactor power plants

The Power Division has identified 4 locations to install country’s first modular reactor power plant, an authoritative source told the Daily Observer.

Ministry of Science and Technology of Bangladesh has signed two non-binding memorandums of understanding (MoUs) with the USA and China recently on cooperation for implementing modular power plants through nuclear technology. MoU was signed with the China Atomic Energy Authority and a strategic civil nuclear cooperation MoU was signed with USA on September 25.

As part of plans to establish Bangladesh’s first modular reactor power plant, the state-owned China Energy Engineering Corporation (CEEC) inspected Madarganj, Jamalpur recently with the officials of Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) and plans to visit Rangabali in Patuakhali.

A team of Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) and a technical group of the CEEC completed the first round of the site inspection recently in Madarganj, Jamalpur to assess the feasibility of installing the power project.

BPDB Chairman Engineer Rezaul Karim told media the Chinese team visited the char areas of Madarganj in September last. BPDB officials had shown four separate locations to the Chinese side for establishing modular reactor power plants. 

CEEC is a subsidiary of China Railway Construction Corporation, a state-owned Chinese infrastructure group with operations in more than 60 countries and regions. Presently only two small modular nuclear reactors are in operation in Russia and China. 

“The BPDB plans to establish nuclear modular power plants with a combined capacity of 200MW to 300MW at different loca tions,” its chairman said.

“If everything is settled, we will move towards implementing small- and medium-sized modular power plants with the support of the Ministry of Science and Technology,” he said.

Focusing on Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant (RNPP) BPDB chairman expressed concern over delays surrounding the commissioning, saying the BPDB had yet to receive a clear picture of progress on the project’s first unit.

“We don’t know what the progress of Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant Unit 1 is, or the progress of the other unit,” he said.

The Rooppur authorities have begun discussions on a power purchase agreement (PPA) for electricity to be generated by the nuclear plant. However, the BPDB chairman said the tariff had not yet been determined.
One of its notable features is the explicit inclusion of SMRs and new nuclear power technologies. 

Unlike conventional large reactors, A Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) are designed to generate electricity on a smaller scale. The technology remains under development, with different designs at various stages of regulatory approval, demonstration and commercial deployment.

For Bangladesh, the proposed cooperation could provide an opportunity to study advanced reactor technologies alongside its existing large-scale nuclear power programme.

The proposed Chinese framework comes as Bangladesh expands its nuclear cooperation with other international partners. The US agreement places emphasis on peaceful nuclear cooperation, safety and security, safeguards and non-proliferation.