Rooppur is back again
Tuesday, 25 November 2008
Dr Abdul Matin
YES, it is all about the Bangladesh Rooppur nuclear power project which was conceived in the early 1960s. I was one of the many scientists and engineers recruited for the project in 1962. We got our specialised training abroad to build and operate the Rooppur nuclear power plant. The land for the project was procured at Rooppur, a site office was established and some residential houses were built there for the project personnel. We made numerous trips abroad, wrote volumes of feasibility reports, negotiated with more than half a dozen reputed reactor manufacturers from all over the world and drafted several contract documents, often working non-stop day and night, but Rooppur is yet to see the light of the day.
Not only Rooppur, the entire energy and power sector has been neglected over the decades. Supposedly floating on gas Bangladesh is now unable to supply the required quantity of gas to the existing power plants. From where the power plants under construction or planned would get it?. No wonder the big mouths, once vocal for gas export, are silent now. Bangladesh would face a shortfall of 4,000MW of power by 2012, according to an estimate of the power ministry. What will happen afterwards is anybody's guess.
With our gas supply dwindling and fuel prices fluctuating, nuclear power is increasingly becoming a logical choice to meet the growing needs of Bangladesh. The economic advantage of nuclear power is beyond question now. Besides, it is considered to be safe, reliable and environment friendly. It does not emit carbon dioxide to cause global warming. In 2007, 439 nuclear power reactors around the world were producing about 372GW (thousand megawatts equal one gigawatt) or 16 per cent of the world's electricity generation. France gets 77 per cent of its needs from nuclear power, Lithuania 64.4 per cent, Slovakia 54 per cent and Sweden 46 per cent. Scientists have improved the safety features of nuclear reactors to the extent that no significant nuclear accident was reported since 1986, when the Chernobyl incident occurred.
It was a correct move for this interim or caretaker regime to seek Chinese assistance for building Rooppur nuclear power plant. A technical delegation is expected to visit China soon to initiate the negotiations in this regard.
The option for nuclear power, however, requires elaborate planning and preparation. First of all, there must be a serious commitment from the government to go for just one, but a series of nuclear power plants, under a long-term energy policy. The construction, operation and maintenance of a nuclear power plant requires a massive supporting infrastructure and technical know-how. It is not economical to have such facilities for one reactor. Bangladesh will need nuclear power for several decades to come to meet its increasing power needs. So, Bangladesh must have a long-term plan for building several nuclear power stations in the coming decades.
A signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, Bangladesh concluded agreements for cooperation in nuclear energy with several reactor- and fuel-supplying countries. Additional agreements of cooperation could, therefore, be signed with other countries, if necessary. No problem should be anticipated regarding the supply of nuclear power plants or fuel, provided the necessary credit to finance such projects is available.
The site for the plant at Rooppur needs revaluation, as it was selected in the early 1960s, when the Ganges there had enough flow of water throughout the year to cool the condenser of the plant. Things have changed since India started diverting the Ganges waters from the upstream using the Farakka barrage. The flow of water during the lean period is very low and the main river channel changes its course frequently. This will create problems for adequate supply of water to cool the plant and in the transportation of heavy equipment by barges to the site.
The idea of a through cooling system for the plant might have to be abandoned. Cooling towers may be an alternative option; land suitable for a cooling pond may not be available around the site. This is likely to increase the cost of the project. The transportation of heavy equipment has to be scheduled for the monsoon to avoid delays in the construction of the plant.
For future nuclear power plants, the government must look for new sites, around the Chittagong and Khulna coast having adequate supply of cooling water. Besides, transportation of heavy equipment throughout the year would not pose a problem there.
Instead of going for the second generation nuclear reactors, Bangladesh should opt for the most advanced AP-600 or AP-1000 types or any of the third generation reactors. For much simpler designs, these reactors are cost effective, fuel efficient and inherently safe. Whatever size or type is chosen, Bangladesh should go for the same while procuring reactors in the future.
No matter who supplies reactors, Bangladesh will have to import the nuclear fuel from the United States, France or Russia -three major suppliers. It will be advisable to select a simple once-through fuel cycle with adequate storage at the plant site for the spent nuclear fuel. While designing the storage facility, adequate attention must be paid to the safety of the operating personnel and the security of the spent fuel against any sabotage or pilferage.
There should be no lapses about the safety of the reactor. The design, construction and operation of the reactor must adhere to the latest safety standards followed in the US, Western Europe or as the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) prescribes. The government should constitute a permanent nuclear regulatory authority to ensure that the specified safety standards are followed.
While planning for a large nuclear power plant, attention must be focused on its integration to the electric power system. The two must be developed simultaneously to ensure the transmission of the energy generated to the load centres through adequate transmission facilities and distribution systems. Proper load flow and system stability studies would ensure uninterrupted operation of the reactor and its electric power system.
The scarcity of natural gas and the growing foreign exchange expenditure on imported fuel is likely to make nuclear power a major source of energy to meet the future needs of Bangladesh. The implementation of a long-term nuclear power programme will require empowering the Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission to function without bureaucratic hurdles. One way to do this is to form a separate ministry with the chairman of the commission as its ex-officio secretary, as in India. In Pakistan the Department of Atomic Energy is directly under the president.
Though late, the initiative of the government to build the Rooppur nuclear power plant is a step in the right direction. The Bangladesh negotiating team should be prepared to deal with all the aspects of negotiation -- technical, financial, contractual as well as legal.
(The writer is former chief engineer of the Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission with specialisations in nuclear reactor technology and power system planning.)
YES, it is all about the Bangladesh Rooppur nuclear power project which was conceived in the early 1960s. I was one of the many scientists and engineers recruited for the project in 1962. We got our specialised training abroad to build and operate the Rooppur nuclear power plant. The land for the project was procured at Rooppur, a site office was established and some residential houses were built there for the project personnel. We made numerous trips abroad, wrote volumes of feasibility reports, negotiated with more than half a dozen reputed reactor manufacturers from all over the world and drafted several contract documents, often working non-stop day and night, but Rooppur is yet to see the light of the day.
Not only Rooppur, the entire energy and power sector has been neglected over the decades. Supposedly floating on gas Bangladesh is now unable to supply the required quantity of gas to the existing power plants. From where the power plants under construction or planned would get it?. No wonder the big mouths, once vocal for gas export, are silent now. Bangladesh would face a shortfall of 4,000MW of power by 2012, according to an estimate of the power ministry. What will happen afterwards is anybody's guess.
With our gas supply dwindling and fuel prices fluctuating, nuclear power is increasingly becoming a logical choice to meet the growing needs of Bangladesh. The economic advantage of nuclear power is beyond question now. Besides, it is considered to be safe, reliable and environment friendly. It does not emit carbon dioxide to cause global warming. In 2007, 439 nuclear power reactors around the world were producing about 372GW (thousand megawatts equal one gigawatt) or 16 per cent of the world's electricity generation. France gets 77 per cent of its needs from nuclear power, Lithuania 64.4 per cent, Slovakia 54 per cent and Sweden 46 per cent. Scientists have improved the safety features of nuclear reactors to the extent that no significant nuclear accident was reported since 1986, when the Chernobyl incident occurred.
It was a correct move for this interim or caretaker regime to seek Chinese assistance for building Rooppur nuclear power plant. A technical delegation is expected to visit China soon to initiate the negotiations in this regard.
The option for nuclear power, however, requires elaborate planning and preparation. First of all, there must be a serious commitment from the government to go for just one, but a series of nuclear power plants, under a long-term energy policy. The construction, operation and maintenance of a nuclear power plant requires a massive supporting infrastructure and technical know-how. It is not economical to have such facilities for one reactor. Bangladesh will need nuclear power for several decades to come to meet its increasing power needs. So, Bangladesh must have a long-term plan for building several nuclear power stations in the coming decades.
A signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, Bangladesh concluded agreements for cooperation in nuclear energy with several reactor- and fuel-supplying countries. Additional agreements of cooperation could, therefore, be signed with other countries, if necessary. No problem should be anticipated regarding the supply of nuclear power plants or fuel, provided the necessary credit to finance such projects is available.
The site for the plant at Rooppur needs revaluation, as it was selected in the early 1960s, when the Ganges there had enough flow of water throughout the year to cool the condenser of the plant. Things have changed since India started diverting the Ganges waters from the upstream using the Farakka barrage. The flow of water during the lean period is very low and the main river channel changes its course frequently. This will create problems for adequate supply of water to cool the plant and in the transportation of heavy equipment by barges to the site.
The idea of a through cooling system for the plant might have to be abandoned. Cooling towers may be an alternative option; land suitable for a cooling pond may not be available around the site. This is likely to increase the cost of the project. The transportation of heavy equipment has to be scheduled for the monsoon to avoid delays in the construction of the plant.
For future nuclear power plants, the government must look for new sites, around the Chittagong and Khulna coast having adequate supply of cooling water. Besides, transportation of heavy equipment throughout the year would not pose a problem there.
Instead of going for the second generation nuclear reactors, Bangladesh should opt for the most advanced AP-600 or AP-1000 types or any of the third generation reactors. For much simpler designs, these reactors are cost effective, fuel efficient and inherently safe. Whatever size or type is chosen, Bangladesh should go for the same while procuring reactors in the future.
No matter who supplies reactors, Bangladesh will have to import the nuclear fuel from the United States, France or Russia -three major suppliers. It will be advisable to select a simple once-through fuel cycle with adequate storage at the plant site for the spent nuclear fuel. While designing the storage facility, adequate attention must be paid to the safety of the operating personnel and the security of the spent fuel against any sabotage or pilferage.
There should be no lapses about the safety of the reactor. The design, construction and operation of the reactor must adhere to the latest safety standards followed in the US, Western Europe or as the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) prescribes. The government should constitute a permanent nuclear regulatory authority to ensure that the specified safety standards are followed.
While planning for a large nuclear power plant, attention must be focused on its integration to the electric power system. The two must be developed simultaneously to ensure the transmission of the energy generated to the load centres through adequate transmission facilities and distribution systems. Proper load flow and system stability studies would ensure uninterrupted operation of the reactor and its electric power system.
The scarcity of natural gas and the growing foreign exchange expenditure on imported fuel is likely to make nuclear power a major source of energy to meet the future needs of Bangladesh. The implementation of a long-term nuclear power programme will require empowering the Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission to function without bureaucratic hurdles. One way to do this is to form a separate ministry with the chairman of the commission as its ex-officio secretary, as in India. In Pakistan the Department of Atomic Energy is directly under the president.
Though late, the initiative of the government to build the Rooppur nuclear power plant is a step in the right direction. The Bangladesh negotiating team should be prepared to deal with all the aspects of negotiation -- technical, financial, contractual as well as legal.
(The writer is former chief engineer of the Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission with specialisations in nuclear reactor technology and power system planning.)