Leak tests completed for Rooppur I's containment structure
The tests for tightness and strength of the containment building at Bangladesh's first nuclear power plant unit have been carried out successfully.
During the process a compressor was used and the pressure was increased to the design value of 4.6kgf/cm2 and a series of tests was carried out to "confirm the tightness of the structure and its ability to withstand internal loads that occur in abnormal conditions".
Rosatom describes the reactor's hermetic enclosure as "a physical barrier made of prestressed reinforced concrete with an internal sealing steel lining. It is designed to prevent the release of radioactive substances into the environment in the event of an emergency and to localise them, as well as to protect against possible external influences. The enclosure serves as the last protective barrier in the event of a hypothetical accident".
Alexey Deriy, vice president for projects in Bangladesh at Atomstroyexport JSC, said: "A number of operations carried out during these tests are unique and are carried out once, only after the full completion of construction and installation work in the reactor building. The results of the tests confirm that the hermetic enclosure system fully complies with all design and regulatory requirements. This is an important step towards commissioning the first power unit and evidence of the high quality of work at all stages of construction."
The Rooppur project
In February 2011 Russia's Rosatom signed an agreement for two reactors to be built at Rooppur, about 160 kilometres from the capital Dhaka, for the Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission. The initial contract for the project, worth USD12.65 billion, was signed in December 2015. The Bangladesh Atomic Regulatory Authority issued the first site licence for the Rooppur plant in June 2016, allowing preliminary site works, including geological surveys, to begin.
Construction of the first unit began in November 2017. Construction of the second unit began in July 2018. They have an initial life-cycle of 60 years, with a further 20-year extension possible.
The first batch of nuclear fuel was delivered to the site in October 2023 - the moment that the site got its status as a nuclear facility. In March Rooppur unit 1's turbine installation was completed, as were hydraulic tests to check the primary circuit systems and equipment, paving the way for hot functional tests to begin. Rosatom has included grid connection for Rooppur unit 1 as one of its key targets for the current year.
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