As part of the visit to the Russian Federation of a high-ranking delegation from Bangladesh, including representatives of the Ministry of Science and Technology, members of the Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission (BAEC), managers of the Rooppur NPP and representatives of the Bangladesh Embassy, visited Rosatom Technical Academy. The delegation was led by Minister of Science and Technology Yafesh Osman. On the Russian side, the guests were represented by specialists of the engineering company Atomstroyexport, which implements projects for the construction of power units abroad, the company-integrator of the service offer of the State Atomic Energy Corporation Rosatom in the international market, Rusatom Service, and management of the Rosatom Technical Academy – global center for the personnel training.
The main purpose of the visit was to discuss the training of specialists from the Rooppur NPP which is currently being provided by Rosatom Technical Academy under the General Contract for the construction of a nuclear power plant in Bangladesh. The key challenge of the past year was the epidemiological situation in the world. Vaccinations were organized for Bangladeshi students in Russia, more than 1,500 PCR tests were carried out. Additional safety measures have been introduced during internships at nuclear power plants. Currently, the training process for Bangladeshi personnel is in line with the Rooppur NPP construction schedule.
“On our part, all obstacles to sending trainees to Russia have been removed. They receive visas for the entire time of their stay in our country,” explained Aleksey Deriy, Vice President – Director of the Rooppur NPP Construction Project of ASE JSC. – In addition, the recruitment of groups for sending to training is carried out taking into account the NPP construction schedule. We are now moving on to the adjustment works phase. At the moment, it is important to develop an advanced schedule for training of personnel in accordance with the concept laid down in the EPC contract. Our task is to train personnel as qualitatively and quickly as possible.”
According to Vsevolod Vityazev, Director of the Training Projects Department of Rusatom Service JSC, in order to increase the quality of customer personnel training a large investment programme was launched in 2018 in Rosatom Technical Academy: classrooms were repaired, IT infrastructure was updated, a hotel and apartments in Novovoronezh were purchased for comfortable accommodation of the trainees. To train foreign students 170 new generation instructors are being prepared, many of whom have already started their work. By the end of the year, all training centers of the Academy will be equipped with analytical and full-scale simulators manufactured by the high-tech company JET – affiliated company of JSC Rusatom Service.
During the meeting, special attention was paid to the preparation of training and methodological materials for the Rooppur NPP Training Center – the development of documentation, computer-based training systems, posters, complex information systems that will ensure the timely commencement of training at the training center.
During the visit, the guests also had a conversation with the Bangladeshi trainees and got acquainted with new technical training facilities: an analytical simulator for a VVER-1200 power unit and a visual prototyping complex for a 3D demonstration of the NPP buildings. Concluding the meeting the representatives of the delegation marked the high quality of the foreign NPP personnel training provided within the walls of the Rosatom Technical Academy, and expressed satisfaction with the implementation of joint decisions taken following the results of previous visits, and their readiness for further cooperation.«The construction of a nuclear power plant in Bangladesh according to the Russian project is a special pride for us. The role of a teacher is very important here to transfer the nuclear knowledge to a new generation. Many specialists of the Technical Academy started teaching after working at nuclear power plants and are familiar with the technological processes. And the successful mastering of the most complex technologies is possible only through a combination of theoretical and practical knowledge and skills. My father was a teacher, and he was glad when his students surpassed him in knowledge, using them for the benefit of their country. Those guys who come to Russia to study think that way», – Yafesh Osman said.
According to the instructors of the Rosatom Technical Academy, students from Bangladesh are literate, mature people who have received high-quality higher education in the best universities in their country and abroad. They are disciplined and understand that preparation for the position is the key to their successful future life. Based on the results of midterm examinations, average performance of specialists from Rooppur NPP is 95.5%.
“Exactly three years have passed since the first group from Bangladesh began training at the Rosatom Technical Academy. All this time, the management from Bangladeshi side has monitoring this process with great attention. This is very important for the correct and effective progress of the NPP personnel training project. For our part, we try to take into account all the comments and suggestions of the customer, and for the trainees the inspiration from their leaders area special incentive to gain knowledge and diligence in their studies, First Vice-Rector of the Technical Academy Vladimir Aspidov said at the end of the meeting.
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The Rooppur NPP site is located on the eastern bank of the Ganges River in the Pabna district at a distance of about 160 km northwest of the city of Dhaka, the capital of the Republic of Bangladesh. The facility is designed and constructed by the Engineering Division of the ROSATOM State Corporation. The nuclear power plant will consist of two VVER-1200 reactor power units, their the life cycle is expected to be 60 years with the possible extending of the service life for another 20 years. The Russian design with VVER-1200 reactors successfully implemented at Novovoronezh NPP- 2 was selected for the first NPP in Bangladesh. This is an evolutionary GenIII+ design which fully complies with all international safety requirements.
Under the contract, ROSATOM is to train about 1,400 specialists from the Rooppur NPP. Currently, 118 Bangladeshi nuclear specialists are gaining knowledge at the Rosatom Technical Academy. Theoretical basic courses and some of the special courses are provided at the Technical Academy site in Obninsk. special courses – at the Novovoronezh branch of the Academy, practical training and internship – at the Novovoronezh NPP. The final stage of the training programme will be implemented at the nuclear power plant site that is under construction in Bangladesh.