Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has requested Russia’s state nuclear agency Rosatom to consider the construction of a second nuclear power plant in Rooppur.
On Tuesday (April 2), Director General of Rosatom, Aleksey Likhachev, went to meet the Prime Minister at Ganobhaban.
After the meeting, Prime Minister’s speech writer M Nazrul Islam briefed the journalists.
Sheikh Hasina told Rosatom that the government is planning to build another nuclear power plant in Rooppur after the completion of the ongoing project.
He said that technical survey is required at the initial stage for setting up two new units.
The Prime Minister ordered to complete all the formalities to take back the fuel waste from the first and second units of Rooppur nuclear power plant to Russia.
The Director General of Rosatom gave assurances from the Government of Russia regarding the return of the nuclear fuel waste produced by the first and second units to the Russian Federation and promised to complete all the necessary formalities on time as per the instructions of the Prime Minister.
An inter-state agreement has already been signed between Dhaka and Moscow regarding the return of nuclear fuel waste from Rooppur nuclear power plant to Russia.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina thanked Russia for its assistance in Bangladesh’s energy security, especially in the construction of the Rooppur nuclear power plant.
He said that it was Bangabandhu’s dream to set up a nuclear power plant in Bangladesh and it is being realised.
He recalled the help of Russia during the liberation war of Bangladesh in 1971 and later help in the reconstruction of the war-torn country.
Prime Minister congratulated Russian President Vladimir Putin on his re-election.
Director General of Rosatom briefed the Prime Minister about the progress of construction of Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant.
He said Rooppur nuclear power plant will go into production by 2025 and start supplying power to the national grid.
He also said that 85 percent work of Rooppur nuclear power plant has been completed.
He proposed to the Russian government to construct two new nuclear power units (Unit-3 and Unit-4) in Rooppur nuclear power project area.
The director general said that the construction of the new unit-3 and unit-4 should be started soon after the construction of the first two units is completed.
In this context, he further said that the expansion of the existing nuclear power projects is more profitable and reasonable from the financial point of view and in the light of technical and nuclear safety, which is also recognized internationally.
He said, about 2500 workers including Bangladeshi and Russian are working in the project. At the same time they have also acquired skills.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina urged the Director General of Rosatom to utilize Bangladesh’s expertise in other nuclear power plant construction projects.
Director General of Rosatom said that although there are some obstacles due to the epidemic and restrictions, the work is going on at a normal pace.
Science and Technology Minister Architect Yafes Osman was present at this time.
At present, the construction work of two units of 1200 MW capacity in Rooppur project area is in final stage. The first unit will be commissioned in December this year. Commercial power generation will start in 2025 and 2026 from Unit-1 and Unit-2.
