Installation of Core Catcher begins

Installation of “core catcher”, the device for catching molten core (active part of the reactor that contains nuclear fuel) material began at unit no. 1 of Roopur Nuclear Power Plant (RNPP) on Saturday.

It is an important element in the passive safety system of a modern nuclear reactor.

“Safety is the prime concern for the country's first nuclear power plant. So, we are taking all necessary measures to ensure the highest safety at the Rooppur nuclear power project,” Yeafesh Osman, minister for science and technology, said at the inauguration ceremony.

The core catcher will run automatically to save the reactor building if any natural disaster strikes, said Shawkat Akbar, project director of the RNPP.

The installation of the core catcher will be completed within six months, said Alexander Khazin, senior vice-president for overseas projects, Atomstroyexport (ASE).

The VVER-1200 reactors to be set up at the plant will have a unique combination of active and passive safety systems that will ensure maximum stability against external and internal factors, Alexander added.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the construction of the first reactor building in November last year and the second reactor building in July this year.

In 2015, Bangladesh signed its biggest ever contract worth $12.65 billion with Russia's state-run company Rosatom to build the plant that will generate 2,400MW of electricity.