The first unit of the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant (RNPP) may begin supplying around 300 megawatts (MW) of electricity to the national grid on a trial basis this week, marking a major step towards Bangladesh’s entry into the nuclear power era.
Preparations for synchronisation with the national grid are under way, with several activities preceding the process currently in progress, said Dr Khalequzzaman, deputy project director of the Rooppur project.
“If everything proceeds as planned, synchronisation with the national grid could take place this week,” he said.
Subject to approval from the Bangladesh Atomic Energy Regulatory Authority (BAERA) and successful completion of technical tests, the first unit may begin supplying around 300MW to the grid within November.
However, it could take another five to six months for the unit to reach its full generation capacity, according to project officials.
Several sources associated with the project said preparations were under way to connect electricity generated by the country’s first nuclear power plant to the national grid on a trial basis this week, provided there are no technical glitches or unexpected difficulties.
Trial generation at the first unit has already progressed, with initial production activities moving forward and coordination under way among different technical systems, they said.
Once the reactor reaches 40% of its thermal capacity, it will be able to generate around 30-35% of its full electricity generation capacity, allowing approximately 300MW to be supplied to the grid.
After the initial grid connection, the generation and supply systems will be closely monitored and tested for several days to identify any technical faults.
The plant will then require the necessary approval from BAERA before formally beginning the supply of 300MW of electricity to the national grid.
When contacted, BAERA Chairman Mahmudul Hasan said it was too early to confirm when electricity from the Rooppur plant would start flowing into the national grid, although efforts were under way to begin the process as soon as possible.
He said the entire process would be closely monitored once trial supply to the grid begins, with every stage of electricity generation and transmission examined to ensure that all systems are functioning properly.
The formal inauguration would take place only after the authorities were satisfied that there were no technical problems or irregularities, he added.
Source: https://www.tbsnews.net/economy/energy/rooppur-nuclear-plant-may-begin-trial-electricity-supply-national-grid-week-1603571
