Unit 1 at the Rooppur nuclear power station being built by Russia in Bangladesh has achieved criticality with grid connection expected by the end of November.
The 1,080-MW VVER V-523 pressurised water reactor unit, construction of which began in 2017, achieved first criticality at 15:34 on 11 October. First criticality is the milestone moment when a nuclear reactor achieves a self-sustaining, controlled chain reaction for the very first time.
Rooppur, Bangladesh’s most expensive infrastructure facility, has considerable backing from Russia. Moscow is financing $11.9bn (€10.6bn) in state loans for the project, which has been estimated to cost up to $12.8bn.
Russian state nuclear energy corporation Rosatom announced recently that the loading of 163 nuclear fuel assemblies into the core of Rooppur-1 had been completed.
Rosatom is building two identical units at the Rooppur site, about 150 km west of the capital Dhaka, under a general contract signed in 2015.
Initial concrete pouring for Rooppur-1 took place in November 2017, followed by Rooppur-2 in July 2018.
A plant spokesperson said the first criticality landmark was a historic achievement for Bangladesh’s science, technology, and energy sector.
“After achieving criticality, the reactor will now undergo the test and safety verification process as per the prescribed schedule and will be put into minimum controllable operation,” the spokesperson said.
Bangladesh says Rooppur will help diversify the country’s energy mix, reducing fossil fuel dependence, and building long-term baseload capacity.
Once both units are in commercial operation, the facility is projected to supply over 10% of the nation’s electricity demand.
According to the International Energy Agency, Bangladesh relies heavily on fossil fuels for its electricity generation and primary energy supply, anchored predominantly by natural gas.
