Rosatom has completed blowing fresh steam through the pipelines in the turbine compartment at unit 1 of the Rooppur NPP under construction in Bangladesh. This is a key stage in preparation for commissioning ensuring the readiness of the unit’s steam pipelines to supply steam to the turbine. Such tests are mandatory before further operations and are necessary to ensure reliable and safe operation of turbine equipment. The blowing is carried out using fresh steam at a pressure of 2.0 MPa and a temperature of 200°C. This ensures reliable cleaning of pipelines from possible moisture residues, process contaminants and mechanical particles.
More tests will follow with an increased volume of fresh steam. It will allow for final cleaning of the lines and clarification of the operating parameters of the equipment under a load close to operational.
“Completion of this stage of commissioning work at the Rooppur NPP is another step towards the most important event for Bangladesh – the launch of power unit 1, connecting it to the energy system to provide … additional energy needed by the economy and industry, noted Alexey Deriy, ASE Vice President for projects in Bangladesh. “In the future, Rooppur NPP, built according to the latest Russian VVER-1200 design, will provide up to 10% of clean energy in Bangladesh for decades to come.”
The Rooppur plant is being built by Rosatom on the eastern bank of the Ganges River in the Pabna district of Bangladesh, about 160 km northwest of Dhaka. It will comprise two VVER-1200 reactors. In November 2011, Russia and Bangladesh signed an inter-governmental agreement on cooperation in the construction of the NPP, and in mid-December 2015 a general contract was signed. Construction of unit 1 began in November 2017 and unit 2 in July 2018. The plant’s design life is 60 years, with the possibility of extending its operating life for another 20 years. Fresh fuel for the units was delivered to the site in the latter part of 2023.
Read also: Hot testing begins at Rooppur 1
