A crucial milestone in the commissioning of Unit-1 of the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant (RNPP) has been achieved with the successful blowdown of the fresh steam pipelines in the turbine compartment, authorities confirmed today.
The operation verified the readiness of the steam pipelines to deliver steam to the turbine system, marking a significant step toward the plant’s operational launch. The test was conducted using fresh steam at a pressure of 2.0 MPa and a temperature of 200°C, in line with design specifications to ensure effective removal of residual moisture, process contaminants, and mechanical debris, reports BSS.
According to an official release, the steam was safely vented into the atmosphere during the test, producing loud noise as expected. The test was carried out under controlled conditions and posed no risk to the public.
This procedure is a mandatory phase in the cold and hot functional tests and is essential to guarantee the safe and reliable operation of turbine equipment once the plant is active. It will be followed by repeated blowdown tests with increased steam volume to complete the final cleaning and define the turbine’s operating parameters under near-operational conditions.
“With the completion of this stage of commissioning works, the Rooppur NPP takes another step towards the pivotal event, such as the launching of power unit No. 1 and its subsequent connection to the power grid,” said Alexey Vladimirovich Deriy is a senior official at JSC Atomstroyexport (ASE), a subsidiary of Russia’s state nuclear corporation Rosatom.
The Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant, based on Russia’s latest VVER-1200 reactor design, is projected to supply Bangladesh with clean, low-carbon energy for decades. Once operational, Unit-1 is expected to meet up to 10% of the country’s current electricity demand.