Tk 8.26bn sought fro drinking water supply to Rooppur NPP

Russian contractor JSC Atomstroyexport (JSC-ASE) is seeking Tk 8.26 billion or $97.35 million for developing drinking water system at Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant.

The allocation will be made in addition to contract signed between Bangladesh and Russia.

According to General Contract, Bangladesh will ensure supply of the drinking water during project implementation period as well as operation and maintenance period.

Now, the JSC Atomstroyexport will meet the requirement to supply the drinking water from the temporary arrangement.

But, the contractor is seeking permanent solution to supply water under Clause-7.2.11, sources conformed.

Earlier, the Nuclear Power Plant Company Bangladesh Ltd had a plan to implement the water supply system for construction purpose and supply of drinking on the construction site through state-owned RDA, Bogura.

Later, the company planned to shift the job to JSC ASE as water supply to nuclear power plant is a technology-oriented task.

The JSC ASE seeks $97.35 million to install treated water tanks, service water tanks, water treatment building, relief pump station, transformer sub-station, domestic waste water storage system, storm water treatment station, and develop sediment storage area etc.

The government has a plan to form a committee to implement the job. It also plans to revise the development project proposal to allocate the fund for implementing the work.

The Commercial Operation Date (COD) of Rooppur Nuclear plant may be delayed by 4-6 months as the Nuclear Power Plant Company Bangladesh Ltd has rescheduled the implementation roadmap due to the disruption caused by the corona pandemic.

Besides, the Russian Contractor has sought to activate the ‘force majeure’ provisions in face of the global pandemic, reliable sources confirmed. As per requirement of the Russian contractor JSC Atomstroyexport, the government has rescheduled the project implementation period this month.

Now, the unit-1 is expected to commence provisional takeover or pre-commercial operation on February 17, 2024, from previously scheduled October 2023. The unit-1 of the plant will commence operations in February 2025, official sources confirmed.

Besides, the work of loading uranium fuel into the first reactor will begin on February 21, 2023, as per the new schedule. It will be on October 8, 2023, for unit-2.

The start of test and checking equipment for unit-1 will begin on January 19, 2022, reliable sources said after attending at a review meeting chaired by Science and Technology Minister Architect Yeafesh Osman.

Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant will consist of two power units equipped with two VVER reactors, the life cycle of which is 60 years with an option to extend the service life for another 20 years. The power capacity of each unit will be 1200 MW.

In 2017, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the construction of the main concrete structure for the nuclear furnace, with the construction beginning in July of the following year.