Ishwardi (Pabna) Correspondent :
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has launched a Pre-OSERT (Pre-Operation Safety Review Team) mission at the Rooppur Nuclear Power Project in Ishwardi to assess safety protocols before fuel loading at Unit-1.
The 15-member team, led by Simon Philip Morgan, IAEA Senior Nuclear Safety Officer, with Juraj Rovni, Head of the IAEA Operational Safety Section, as Deputy Leader, began its work on Sunday. The mission will run until 27 August.
According to project officials, the team will examine a wide range of operational and safety areas, including leadership and management systems, staff training and qualifications, operational readiness, maintenance procedures, technical performance, radiation protection, emergency preparedness, accident management, and commissioning processes.
Dr Zayedul Hasan, Managing Director of the Nuclear Power Plant Company, confirmed that the review is a prerequisite for the initial loading of 163 uranium fuel assemblies-supplied by Russia – into the reactor core. This step requires final approval from both the IAEA and the Bangladesh Atomic Energy Regulatory Authority.
Project Site Director Engineer Md Ashraful Islam said the fuel loading stage is now in its final preparatory phase, making the pre-OSERT mission “critical to ensuring maximum safety”.
The $12.65 billion Rooppur plant financed and technically supported by Russia, will feature two VVER-1200 reactors, each generating 1,200 MW of electricity. Under international standards, a pre-OSERT review is carried out three to six months before the first fuel load to confirm compliance with the highest safety norms.
