Bangladesh’s science and technology minister has described a fire at a temporary building linked to the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant as a “minor incident”, saying it occurred outside the main nuclear facility and posed no major safety risk.
Science and Technology Minister Fakir Mahbub Anam said the fire was believed to have been caused by an electrical short circuit. Some furniture and documents were destroyed, but he said the documents had been backed up and the incident had not caused significant damage to the project.
Speaking to journalists at the Bangladesh Secretariat on Thursday, Mr Anam said the fire broke out outside the main nuclear installation and beyond the restricted-access area.
“There is no major reason for concern over the incident,” he said, adding that any further measures would be considered after an investigation.
The fire broke out early on 7 September at a temporary building at the Pioneer Base of the Rooppur project. Server equipment and other information technology and communications equipment at an office of the Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission were damaged.
Internet services were disrupted at several project offices following the incident, while electricity and water supplies were also affected in some areas. An investigation committee is examining the cause of the fire and assessing the damage.
Mr Anam said the preliminary assessment indicated that the fire was caused by a short circuit. However, he stressed that the affected building was outside the main nuclear facility and therefore did not pose a threat to the plant’s nuclear safety.
First-unit grid connection uncertain
The incident comes amid growing uncertainty over when Rooppur’s first reactor will begin supplying electricity to Bangladesh’s national grid.
Mr Anam said a key stage of commissioning had been delayed because of problems with pressure-operated regulating valves (PORVs) in Unit 1.
Of the three valves, one is functioning while the other two have developed problems, he said. The valves have been removed, inspected and reassembled over the past month and a half, with temperature and pressure tests being carried out.
Five Russian specialists have arrived in Bangladesh to help resolve the problems and are currently working at the Rooppur site.
Mr Anam said the first unit could have supplied around 300MW to the national grid during September if the valve problems had not occurred.
However, he said the government could not give a firm timetable at present. A clearer indication of the likely completion date could emerge within the next few days, depending on the progress made by the Russian specialists.
The minister said about 47 tests, including nearly 2,000 flushing tests, had been completed successfully before fuel loading, followed by around 90 further tests.
However, the valve problems had halted work at a critical stage, with additional testing still required.
“It would be unwise to announce a specific date now, as it may have to be changed again,” Mr Anam said.
He stressed that safety and security remained the highest priority, saying the government would not compromise safety despite the pressure to bring the project into operation quickly.
Electricity tariff not finalised
The price at which electricity generated by Rooppur will be supplied to the national grid has also yet to be finalised.
Mr Anam said the tariff would be determined soon, but declined to provide a specific timetable until there was greater certainty over the grid connection date and the progress of the remaining tests.
The minister had previously warned on 5 September that the PORV problems could delay electricity supplies from Rooppur. He also said the government could consider transferring a valve from the second unit to the first, if necessary, or refurbishing the existing valves.
The Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant is being built at an estimated cost of around Tk1.387 trillion and comprises two VVER-1200 reactors with a combined generation capacity of 2,400MW.
The project is being constructed with technical and financial support from Russia’s state-owned nuclear corporation Rosatom. Preparations are under way for the first unit to begin generating electricity for Bangladesh’s national grid.