IAEA team begins Rooppur inspection as plant enters operational phase

A three-member high-level technical engineering team from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) began a visit to the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant (RNPP) today to observe technical progress as the facility enters its operational phase. The delegation, led by Mehmet Ceyhan, technical lead of the Nuclear Infrastructure Development Section, includes Eric Jean Bernard Mathet, senior nuclear engineer for Nuclear Infrastructure Development. "The technical team from the IAEA will observe progress during the operational stage of the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant," Saikat Ahmed, media focal point officer for the project, told The Daily Star. He said the mission is intended to help ensure the safe operation of the country's first nuclear power plant.

The team will remain in Bangladesh for a week, including two days of on-site inspections at the facility. Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant officially entered its operational phase after fuel loading began at Unit-1 on April 28. Project officials said 163 fuel assemblies had been loaded into the reactor core by mid-May. A series of tests is now under way to ensure the reliable and safe operation of all processing systems.

Alongside the site inspection, the Ministry of Science and Technology and the Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission (BAEC), in collaboration with the IAEA, are holding a two-day strategic roundtable discussion to review nuclear energy strategies, current realities and Bangladesh's future course in the sector. Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology Minister Faqir Mahbub Anam attended the event as chief guest. PM’s Adviser on Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology Rehan Asif Asad was present as special guest, while Ministry of Science and Technology Secretary Md Anwar Hossain chaired the meeting. The Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant, comprising two VVER-1200 reactors, is being built in Ishwardi upazila of Pabna at a cost of $12.65 billion.

Ninety percent of the project is being financed through a Russian loan, with Russia also providing technical support.