Ruppur nuclear power plant
| Ruppur nuclear power plant | ||
|---|---|---|
| location | ||
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| Coordinates | 24 ° 3 '58 " N , 89 ° 2' 49" E | |
| Country: | Bangladesh | |
| Data | ||
| Project start: | 2009 | |
| Commercial operation: | Planned for 2023 | |
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Reactors under construction (gross): |
2 (2400 MW) | |
| The data source of the respective entries can be found in the documentation . | ||
The Ruppur nuclear power plant currently under construction ( Bengali রুপপুর পারমাণবিক বিদ্যুৎ কেন্দ্র , English Ruppur or Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant ) is to be the first nuclear power plant in Bangladesh with a net output of 2.16 GW . Construction began on November 30, 2017 and the first of the two blocks is scheduled to go online in 2023 . The construction is carried out by the Russian nuclear authority Rosatom . On December 28, 2015, Transparency International Bangladesh reported serious doubts about the safety of the planned power plant, as "even renowned Russian developers consider Russian nuclear reactors to be unsafe".
Government energy plans in 2010
The energy demand of Bangladesh is growing rapidly every year. In 2013 the growth was + 9%. The installed capacity of the Bangladeshi power plants was 11.3 GW in January 2014. Another 500 MW were imported from neighboring West Bengal (India). More than 30% of the population live without electricity and blackouts are common. According to the government's calculations in 2010, a total energy requirement of 19 TWh in 2021 and 34 TWh in 2030 can be expected. The Bangladeshi government plans to increase energy generation by an additional 24 GW by 2021. 30% of the additional energy is to be generated from domestic coal, 20% from imported coal, 25% from natural gas and 5% bio-ethanol . The remaining 20% are to be covered by nuclear energy, renewable energies and energy imports.
Location
The power plant is to be built 200 km northwest of Dhaka in the northwest of the country near Ruppur in the Pabna district . The location is only about 30 kilometers as the crow flies from the Indian border directly on the Lalon-Shah road bridge over the Pabna.
history
The first plans to build a nuclear power plant in what was then East Pakistan existed as early as 1961. The government selected an area of 253.90 hectares near the city of Pabna and in 1963 this was approved. In 1964 and 1966 the government conducted negotiations with Canada, Sweden and Norway. However, these were inconclusive. After the independence of Bangladesh there were talks with the Soviet Union in 1974 , which also ended without result. In 1980 the government approved a plan to build a 125 MW reactor, but it did not go ahead. There were more concrete plans again in 2001, when the Bangladeshi government passed a national nuclear energy plan ( Nuclear Power Action Plan ), which in 2005 led to an agreement with the People's Republic of China . China offered to finance the project, which was to include two 500 MW reactors.
In 2009, Bangladesh started negotiations with Russia and on February 13, 2009 both sides signed a letter of intent to build two reactors in Ruppur with an electrical output of 1000 MW each. Rosatom announced the year 2017 as the time of the planned start of construction. Construction work began on November 30, 2017.
criticism
In 2013, a group of Bangladeshi scientists, including many nuclear physicists, at home and abroad made their serious doubts about the safety and profitability of the power plant clear in an open letter to the government under Prime Minister Hasina Wajed . The critics argued that the location was wrongly chosen. He was selected 50 years ago by the then ruling Pakistani military junta , without a precise location check. The Padma , from which the cooling water for the planned reactors is to be taken, now carries significantly less water than before, especially in the summer months due to the Farakka barrage built around 40 kilometers upstream on the Indian side . The amount of water from the Padma is unlikely to be sufficient to cool one and certainly not two 1000 MW reactors. An inadequate cooling system increased the risk of a nuclear accident, as in Fukushima . The planned Russian reactor type VVER-1000 is completely out of date. Even in Russia, related reactor projects were therefore stopped in 2008 due to safety concerns. The European Union (EU) had imposed an obligation on the former Eastern Bloc states to first shut down their unsafe VVER-400 and VVER-1000 reactors before they could be accepted as member states in the EU. The statements by the Bangladeshi Atomic Energy Commission and the responsible minister that Russia will bear the cost of US $ 2 billion are incorrect. US $ 500 million alone are already planned for an exhibition center, feasibility studies, etc. The remaining US $ 1.5 billion was not enough for power plant construction, as an example from China shows, where a comparable plant cost US $ 4.5 billion. In addition, Bangladesh does not have the technical infrastructure and know-how to carry out such a demanding project. The transport system is underdeveloped and in poor condition. All high-quality parts of the power plant would have to be imported and the difficult transport alone would drive up the costs. In addition, Bangladesh has no experience in dealing with nuclear reactors. Even if Russia has promised to help, the final responsibility lies with the Bangladeshi institutions. The whereabouts of the radioactive waste have not been clarified. So far, no agreement has been reached with Russia on the acceptance of radioactive waste. The risk that a nuclear accident could occur is far too high and this would entail immense costs. In conclusion, the initiators of the letter referred to the example of “developed” countries, such as Germany, Switzerland and Italy, which would all have given up nuclear energy . The Bengali scientists concluded their appeal with the following warning: “A grand vision is meaningless without competence, judgment and knowledge.” (“A great vision is meaningless if it is not paired with competence, judgment and knowledge.”)
In 2015, the Russian offer was suspended for one year. Rosatom also offered two VVER-1200 nuclear power plants, which would increase the output to 2.4 GW.
In December, the estimated costs climbed from USD 4 billion to USD 13 billion, contrary to statements made in the same year.
See also
Individual evidence
- ↑ https://www.nuklearforum.ch/de/aktuell/e-bulletin/bangladesch-erstes-kernkraftwerk-bau
- ↑ Cabinet clears draft law to form company to operate Rooppur nuclear power plant. bdnews24.com, May 4, 2015, accessed June 6, 2015 .
- ↑ a b c Delay for Bangladesh nuclear plant. World Nuclear News, October 20, 2015, accessed October 26, 2015 .
- ↑ Rooppur nuclear deal signed with Russia. (No longer available online.) The Financial Express, December 25, 2015, archived from the original on December 26, 2015 ; accessed on April 4, 2016 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ a b TIB concerned over Rooppur nuke plant's safety. The Daily Star, December 28, 2015, accessed April 4, 2016 .
- ↑ a b c Nuclear Power in Bangladesh. World Nuclear Association, accessed April 4, 2016 .
- ↑ Russian loan for Rooppur construction. World Nuclear News , January 16, 2013, accessed May 24, 2013 .
- ↑ Sumon Mahbub: N-plant funding deal cut. bdnews24, January 15, 2013, accessed April 4, 2016 .
- ↑ PM seeks more Russian investment in ICT sector. The News Today, January 15, 2013, accessed April 4, 2016 .
- ^ Collaboration in defense, telecom agreed upon. The News Today, January 15, 2013, accessed April 4, 2016 .
- ^ Bangladesh agrees nuclear power deal with Russia. BBC News, November 2, 2011, accessed April 4, 2016 .
- ↑ Bangladesh to Get $ 1Bln Loan for Weapons. The Moscow Times, January 16, 2013, accessed April 4, 2016 .
- ↑ https://www.nucnet.org/all-the-news/2017/11/30/first-concrete-poured-for-unit-1-at-bangladesh-s-rooppur
- ^ A b Subject: Concerns over the Safety and Economic Viability of the Proposed Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant (RNPP). Voice for Justice World Forum, June 30, 2013, accessed April 4, 2016 .
