Following installation of the turbine at unit 1 of the Rooppur NPP under construction in Bangladesh, a series of tests were performed including rotating the turbine shaft at low speed. Specialists conducted control checks, confirming the accuracy of the alignment and the quality of the turbine unit assembly.
“Installation of the turbine at the first unit of the Rooppur NPP has been successfully completed, and this is an important step towards the station’s physical launch,” said Alexey Deriy, Vice President for projects in Bangladesh at Atomstroyexport (part of Rosatom). “The installation of the turbine unit on the rotary device and successful control checks confirm the accuracy of assembly and the reliability of the equipment.”
Fiber optic device ensures proper alignment and balancing of the turbine rotor before starting and stopping, which helps prevent wear on parts of the turbine and ensures safe and efficient operation. Recently hydraulic tests were completed on the unit, paving the way for hot functional tests to begin.
The Rooppur plant is being built by Rosatom on the eastern bank of the Ganges River in Bangladesh’s Pabna district, 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 began in 2021. 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.
