Faulty valves delay Rooppur commissioning

The deadline for starting electricity supply to the national grid from the first unit of the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant is being pushed back due to faults in two valves, said Science and Technology Minister Faqir Mahbub Anam.

He could not provide a specific timeline for when the valve faults would be repaired or when electricity supply from the first unit to the national grid would begin.

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The minister made the remarks at a press conference at the ICT Tower in Agargaon, Dhaka, yesterday.

The press conference was organised to highlight the major achievements of the Ministry of Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology and the Ministry of Science and Technology during the first 180 days of the BNP government.

Faqir Mahbub Anam said preparatory tests required before fuel loading at the first unit of the Rooppur power plant began on April 28.

The target was to start supplying electricity to the national grid within four to six months from this stage. Tests have now been conducted in phases and Stage B has been completed. However, the project cannot proceed to the next Stage C due to problems with two valves.

Asked when the repair of the valves would be completed and when commissioning of the first unit would begin, the minister could not provide a specific date. He said, “At this moment, we cannot say anything specifically.”

A team of experts from Russia will come to determine why the valves are not working. The actual cause of the problem will be known after their examination and testing.

The minister said, according to the assessment of the project’s designer, the two valves may need to be completely replaced. In that case, two alternatives are being considered.

One option is to take the valves allocated for the second unit and install them in the first unit. The other is to ask the Russian vendor to manufacture and supply new valves on an urgent basis.

However, the minister did not provide any specific information on which option would be chosen or how long it could take.