Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant in Final Stage of Production, Officials Address Safety Concerns

The Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant (RNPP) is in the final stages of preparing for electricity generation. After a decade of infrastructure construction under the supervision of Russia's state-owned atomic energy corporation Rosatom, preparations are now underway to load the nuclear fuel, Uranium.

However, a surge of negative news at this final stage is reportedly increasing public concern about the project. Rooppur project authorities claim that the growing anxiety is being fueled by a "planned distortion" of reports from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and deliberate misrepresentation of the project's safety status.

Dr. Md. Zahedul Hasan, Managing Director of Nuclear Power Plant Company Bangladesh Limited (NPCBL) and former project director, stated emphatically that there is "absolutely no scope" to rush into production without the approval of the Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission (BAEC) and the Bangladesh Atomic Energy Regulatory Authority (BAERA), and without meeting the IAEA's full safety requirements.

Role of the IAEA and Project Timeline

Project officials explained that the legal objective of the IAEA, the central inter-governmental forum for scientific and technological cooperation in the nuclear field, is to accelerate and enlarge the contribution of atomic energy to peace, health, and prosperity worldwide, while preventing its military use. The agency provides advisory and peer review services by international experts to help member states strengthen their national nuclear infrastructure and safety practices.

Project sources confirmed that an IAEA expert team conducted a Pre-Operational Safety Review Team (Pre-OSART) mission at the Rooppur plant from August 10 to 27. Following the visit, the agency provided an overview of their observations in a press note on their website, which included recommendations and feedback on several critical areas.

The IAEA is expected to release its final report on the Rooppur project within three months after receiving feedback from Bangladesh. Fuel loading into the reactor will only be possible after the recommendations and suggestions in the report are properly implemented and the regulatory authority (BAERA) grants approval. Officials stressed there is no opportunity to commission the power plant before this process is complete.

Addressing 'Misinformation' and Safety Tests

Project officials have labeled recent media and social media reports—which allegedly cite a 'secret' IAEA report to claim that the plant is being rushed into operation without safety assurances, creating a risk of disaster—as "propaganda and misinformation." They assert this is a "planned conspiracy to make the Rooppur project questionable."

The Pre-OSART team reportedly provided Bangladesh with a report containing recommendations and suggestions by identifying several important issues. The IAEA will publish the final report three months after receiving Bangladesh's opinion. The next steps will involve the agency sending a Final OSART Mission, and if everything goes according to plan, the plant will then be ready for fuel loading.

The instructions from the IAEA's observations are crucial.

Nuclear power plant tests are divided into two categories:

• Non-Nuclear Tests: Completed before fuel loading.
• Nuclear Tests: Conducted after fuel loading.

The Rooppur project requires approximately 1,500 non-nuclear tests, of which about 900 have been completed. The current instructions call for the remaining tests to be completed quickly and correctly. Project officials confirmed they are working to complete all pre-fuel-loading tests according to the set schedule.

The IAEA's recommendations, focusing on achieving international standards and maximum security, emphasized three key areas:

• Fire Safety: Further improve fire safety management and preventive measures.
• Operational Quality: Strengthen the quality of supervision and the application of standards for the 'Conduct of Operations' in line with expected plant operation quality.
• Equipment Preservation: Implement special measures to preserve equipment during commissioning to ensure the protection of systems and components and prevent degradation that could impact safety functions.

Regarding an alleged claim that some valves or components from Unit-2 were used in Unit-1, project officials countered that Unit-2 is a complete replica of Unit-1, making such coordination technically acceptable.

Rooppur Authorities: Observations are 'Normal'

Rooppur authorities described the IAEA's observation recommendations and cautionary instructions as "normal." They reiterated that the IAEA does not issue confidential reports on specific nuclear power plants; it makes a mission's report publicly available after finalization.

Dr. Md. Zahedul Hasan stressed that NPCBL, as an independent, board-managed company, "will absolutely not operate the plant with even minimal deficiencies or flaws." He reaffirmed that safety is the highest priority, and NPCBL is under no obligation or rush, even if work completion is delayed.

"We invited the IAEA's delegation specifically to seek advice to ensure the Rooppur plant is 100% safe," he said. Fuel will be loaded only after the appropriate safety measures are secured according to their advice and after receiving the Commission's approval. "There will be a Final OSART Mission after the Pre-OSART Mission. Therefore, there is no cause for concern regarding the Pre-OSART Mission's observations," he concluded, adding that the report provided to Bangladesh by the IAEA is "much better" than those given to other countries after their Pre-OSART missions.