Pre-commissioning tests began at the first unit of the Ruppur NPP in Bangladesh

Construction and installation works have been completed at Unit 1 of Ruppur NPP in Bangladesh and tests have started in preparation for startup. This was reported on December 18 by the state corporation Rosatom, which is constructing the facility under the contract.

"The plant personnel have started a large-scale testing program. <...> After the entire set of tests, the unit will be ready for the start of launch operations," the statement said.

According to Andrey Petrov, Rosatom's first deputy general director for nuclear energy and president of Atomstroyexport, it is a question of reaching the finish line of preparing the power unit for physical startup.

"We fulfill all our commitments and guarantee the reliability and safety of our technologies. The first NPP in Bangladesh will support the country's economy and work for the benefit of its future generations," Petrov emphasized.

The press service of the state corporation noted that the launch of the NPP will provide clean and safe energy for more than 10% of the consumption of the Republic of Bangladesh, where there is an acute shortage of electricity.

Russian Ambassador to Bangladesh Alexander Khozin pointed out that interaction with foreign partners in the field of peaceful atom strengthens Russia's positive image abroad.

"The successful implementation of the Ruppur NPP project in Bangladesh will become a kind of indicator for further increasing trade and economic cooperation between our countries and strengthening the presence of Russian business in the country," the diplomat said.

The Ruppur NPP is being built under the Russian project 160 kilometers from the capital of Bangladesh, Dhaka. Two VVER-1200 reactors with a total capacity of 2,400 MW will operate there. The construction contract was signed with Rosatom at the end of 2015.

Construction of the first power unit began in 2017, the second - in 2018. In October 2023, nuclear fuel was brought to the NPP. Russian President Vladimir Putin congratulated the Prime Minister of Bangladesh on this occasion and noted that this flagship project meets the interests of both countries.