Iswardi (Pabna) Correspondent
The Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant has been integrated into the control system of the national electricity transmission grid even before starting power generation, taking the country’s first nuclear power plant another step closer to commercial operation.
An agreement to this effect was signed in Dhaka on Wednesday (2 September) between the Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission (BAEC) and GE Vernova, which operates the National Load Dispatch Centre (NLDC).
Under the agreement, key signals and data from eight transmission lines of Rooppur’s Unit-1 and Unit-2, as well as the 400 kV and 230 kV GIS substations, will be integrated into the NLDC’s SCADA/EMS system.
As a result, essential information and signals from Rooppur’s electricity transmission system will be available to the national grid’s central control system in real time. This will make coordinated grid operation and monitoring of electricity transmission more effective.
Rooppur Project Director Dr Kabir Hossain and GE Vernova representative Debesh Jha signed the agreement.
The integration is an important technical milestone for Rooppur’s commissioning and future commercial operations.
Project officials said various tests and examinations have been under way at Unit-1 since fuel loading was completed on 28 April. The plant is now awaiting the B-2 commissioning licence and the necessary safety clearances.
Once permission is granted, the chain reaction will begin, and power generation will gradually move towards the commercial stage.
Built with Russian technological and financial assistance, the Rooppur Nuclear Power Project has two VVER-1200 reactors with a combined generation capacity of 2,400 megawatts. The Generation III+ reactor design has been developed in accordance with international safety standards.
The project is being implemented by Russia’s state nuclear energy corporation Rosatom. #EK
