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Thursday, October 10, 2013

[chottala.com] Nuclear Power in Bangladesh [from World Nuclear Association web site]



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Nuclear Power in Bangladesh

Updated October 2013

  • Bangladesh plans to have two 1000 MWe Russian nuclear power reactors in operation from 2020. 
  • This is to meet rapidly-increasing demand and reduce dependence on natural gas. 

Bangladesh produced 44 billion kWh gross in 2011 from some 6.1 GWe of plant, giving per capita consumption of 250 kWh/yr. Overe 40 billion kWh in 2011 was from natural gas. Electricity demand is rising rapidly, with peak demand 7.5 GWe, and the government aims to increase capacity to at least 7 GWe by 2014, meanwhile importing some 250 MWe from India. New small coal-fired plants are envisaged for 2 GWe of that, and for 3 GWe more by 2016. However, about half the population remains without electricity, and the other half experience frequent power cuts. Some 5.0% of government expenditure is being allocated to 'power and energy'. The capacity target for 2021 is 20 GWe.

Nuclear power plans

Building a nuclear power plant in the west of the country was proposed in 1961. Since then a number of reports have affirmed the technical and economic feasibility. The Rooppur site in Pabna district about 200 km north of Dhaka was selected in 1963 and land was acquired. The government gave formal approval for a succession of plant proposals, then after independence a 125 MWe nuclear power plant proposal was approved in 1980 but not built.

With growth in demand and grid capacity since then, a much larger plant looked feasible, and the government in 1999 expressed its firm commitment to build this Rooppur plant. In 2001 it adopted a national Nuclear Power Action Plan and in 2005 it signed a nuclear cooperation agreement with China.

In 2007 the Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission (BAEC) proposed two 500 MWe nuclear reactors for Rooppur by 2015, quoting likely costs of US$ 0.9-1.2 billion for a 600 MWe unit and US$ 1.5-2.0 billion for 1000 MWe. In April 2008 the government reiterated its intention to work with China in building the Rooppur plant and China offered funding for the project. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) approved a Technical Assistance Project for Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant to be initiated between 2009 and 2011, and it then appeared that an 1100 MWe plant was envisaged.

Russia, China and South Korea had earlier offered financial and technical help to establish nuclear power, and in March 2009 Russia made a formal proposal to build a nuclear power plant in the country. In May 2009 a bilateral nuclear cooperation agreement was signed with Russia. In April 2009 the government approved the Russian proposal to build a 1000 MWe AES-92 nuclear plant at Rooppur for about $2 billion, and a year later this had become two such reactors by 2017. A nuclear energy bill was introduced into parliament in May 2012, with work to begin in 2013, and setting up a Bangladesh Atomic Energy Regulatory Authority. Parliament was told that 5000 MWe of nuclear capacity was envisaged by 2030, and a second plant would be built in the south once Rooppur is operating.

In May 2010 an intergovernmental agreement was signed with Russia, providing a legal basis for nuclear cooperation in areas such as siting, design, construction and operation of power and research nuclear reactors, water desalination plants, and elementary particle accelerators. Other areas covered included fuel supply and wastes – Russia will manage wastes and decommissioning. An agreement with Rosatom was signed in February 2011 for two 1000 MWe-class reactors to be built at Rooppur for the Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission (BAEC).  Another intergovernmental agreement was signed in November 2011 for the project to be built by AtomStroyExport (which in mid-2012 was merged with Nizhny Novgorod Atomenergoproekt, NIAEP). In June 2013, NIAEP-AtomStroyExport signed a contract with BAEC to prepare documentation related to investment in construction and environmental impact assessment for the plant, as well as providing for necessary engineering studies. NIAEP-ASE said that this represented a transition to long-term cooperation.

Planned nuclear power reactors
 TypeCapacity Construction startOperation
Rooppur 1 AES-921000 MWe20152020
Rooppur 2AES-921000 MWe2016 2022

In February 2012 the Ministry of Science and Technology signed an agreement with Russia's Rostechnadzor related to regulation and safety "and the provision of advisory support to the Bangladesh Nuclear Regulatory Commission on regulation, licensing and supervision". Staff will be trained in Russia. 

An intergovernmental agreement for provision of a $500 million Russian loan to finance engineering surveys on the site, project development and personnel training was signed in January 2013. A future loan of about $1.5 billion is expected for the nuclear build proper. In August 2012 a financing agreement was negotiated under which Bangladesh would borrow $500 million for a 2-year technical and economic study together with design, documentation and training, at not less than 4,5% interest rates, which subsequently because 3%. Russia will then provide a second loan of over $1.5 billion for 90% of the first unit's construction. The agreement was signed in January 2013. The $500 million loan will be repaid in 12 years with five years grace period, and the final construction cost will be repaid in 28 years with 10 years grace period. The IAEA continues its close involvement with the project. 

Site works started in October 2013, and construction of the first unit is expected from 2015, with operation soon after 2020. Rosatom signed a $265 million agreement (part of the $500 million facility) in September for site preparation and another for detailed design in October.

Fuel cycle

All fuel is being provided by Rosatom, and all used fuel is to be repatriated to Russia, in line with standard Russian practice for such countries. 

Research

The country has had a Triga 3 MW research reactor operational since 1986.

International agreements and Non-proliferation

Bangladesh has had a safeguards agreement in force with the IAEA since 1982, and an Additional Protocol in force since 2001.

http://world-nuclear.org/info/Country-Profiles/Countries-A-F/Bangladesh/#.UlaZTNJwomB

Nuclear Basics

Answering some of the key questions about nuclear energy

http://world-nuclear.org/Nuclear-Basics/



Related:

Bangladesh nuclear power plant work begins

Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurates the opening phase of the 2,000 megawatt nuclear power plant in PabnaInaugurating the plant the prime minister (right) insisted that it met international safety standards

Bangladesh has begun building the first of two new nuclear power plants north of the capital, Dhaka.

The plants - each with a capacity of 1,000 megawatts - are being constructed with Russian help as Bangladesh looks to close a yawning power deficit.

Inaugurating the project, PM Sheikh Hasina said that "utmost priority" would be given to nuclear safety".

The $2bn project is funded by $500m of Russian credit and is expected to be fully completed by 2022.

Prime Minister Hasina said the plant would be constructed so that natural disasters could not damage or destroy it.

"Regarding the design of the plant, we are following the guidelines of the International Atomic Energy Agency," she said.

The plants will implement new safety features following the nuclear accident in Fukushima in Japan, officials say.

Under the terms of the construction deal, Russia's state-run Rosatom nuclear energy corporation will build, operate and provide fuel for the plant in addition to processing its spent fuel in Russia.

Correspondents say that the project is part of an export drive backed by Russian President Vladimir Putin that includes Rosatom building plants in Iran and Turkey.

The reactors at Rooppur in Pabna district, 120km (75 miles) north of Dhaka, are expected to operate for 60 years with options to extend by another 20 years.

Bangladesh currently relies on dilapidated gas-fired plants for its power supplies and experiences daily electricity shortfalls.

Erratic electricity supplies have been blamed for hampering industrial production and economic growth.

More on This Story

Related Stories

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-24371991




On Thu, Oct 10, 2013 at 2:01 AM, Prof. Lutfor Rahman <lutfor@agni.com> wrote:


Dear Syed Aslam

Thanks a lot for your following nice email reply. I am sorry for the unwanted mistake in title. I am very happy to receive valuable suggestions, questions and information from my country brothers. The country is ours - not of any or a group of people. Many of us have fought for the liberation and many of our friends and fellow freedom fighters were killed and 43 years have already gone. Our desires are not fulfilled. Though we have built nice buildings, supermarkets,
and many other things but main the problem is lack of knowledge in technology among the decision makers. They need to be scientifically or technologically conscious. or a greater percentage of scientists, technologists, and engineers should come in politics.

Thousands of people are demonstrating in the streets to stop the new projects taking the matter politically. But this should not be a political issue. It is absolutely scientific issue with the objective to develop society or community.

Regarding the information you wanted, I am not aware of and I am not involved in government activities. Sorry for my ignorance.

I am happy because experts like you are interested to learn what is actually going on. In this way a community of scientifically conscious citizens will be formed who will  be able to advise the government.

Thanks again

Best regards

Prof. Lutfor Rahman 


...................................................................................................................

.
BTW, the Rampal Power Plant is not a Nuclear Power Plant as your 
subject heading mentions. Also, the attachment is "Rampal Thermal Power Plant 
and Relevant Technology" .....!!!

Can you enlighten us more on the details of:
(1) Ruppoor Nuclear Power Plant project [Reactor type, Operational Safety,
      radioactive waste disposal etc] . Is this proposed reactor, a AES-92 
      Pressurized water reactor (Soviet-type pressurized light water reactor 
      known in Russia as the third-generation VVER 1000 reactor)?

(2) Any environmental impact study that has been done before finalizing
     the decisions on the Rampal coal fired power plant project.

Thanks

Syed Aslam




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