Rooppur NPP: Bangladeshi engineers receive training in Russia on nuclear fuel handling

Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant engineers have completed training at a Rosatom research institute in Troitsk, Russia.

Organised by Rosatom Fuel Division, top experts in Theoretical Physics, Computational Mathematics, and Advanced Engineering, conducted the 3-week training course on handling VVER reactor nuclear fuel, utilising advanced computer analysis tools, UNB reported citing a press release.

In particular, Bangladeshi engineers studied the Reactor Fuel–Coolant Activity (RTOP-CA) code, which allows for determining the loss of integrity of fuel rods and the release of fission products into the primary circuit of the VVER reactor.

The knowledge and skills acquired will help the experts understand nuclear fuel behaviour under abnormal conditions.

"An important aspect of any international NPP project is personnel training. One of the advanced training areas is using computer simulation tools,” noted Kirill Ilyin, DG, Rosatom Research Institute in Troitsk.

The training programme provides a comprehensive study in this area. It includes lectures, reading the technical documents, and practical tasks to control the fuel rod integrity, he added.

"The training sessions are a great opportunity to boost our competencies. The lectures, assignments, and tutorials were concise, easy to understand, and directly related to our jobs,” said Mohammad Shorif Uddin, head of the Fuel Rod Jacket Spectrometry and Monitoring, Rooppur NPP.

“I want to express gratitude to the institute’s team. They put a lot of effort into making our training as effective and memorable as possible."

After the training, the Bangladeshi experts passed their final exams and received RTOP-CA user certificates.

The RTOP-CA code has been developed for in-process monitoring of fuel rod jackets. The code predicts the activity of fission products in the primary circuit coolant of VVER reactors and the behaviour of fuel rods in case of loss of integrity.

Rosatom provides regular training for the Rooppur NPP operating personnel. About 1,500 Bangladeshi engineers will participate in training sessions and internships at Rosatom facilities. About 800 personnel have already received training at the Rosatom Technical Academy.