ROOPPUR, Pabna, Oct 2, 2013 -Bangladesh today embarked on a nuclear power programme as Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the first phase work of the much-awaited Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) Project here.
“After decades of speculation, plans and programmes, commissioning of Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant is going to be a reality heralding a new era for Bangladesh. This is indeed a joyful day for the countrymen,” the Prime Minister said inaugurating the project.
Mentioning that safety is the top-priority for the Rooppur NPP Project, the Prime Minister said the government will never compromise with safety standards.
“Our nuclear energy program is very transparent as Bangladesh has signed all the major international treaties, agreements and protocols related to the nuclear non- proliferation,” she said.
For embarking on a nuclear power programme, Sheikh Hasina said, her government has given top priority to the issues of the development of an appropriate nuclear infrastructure based on the
IAEA Safety Standards and other relevant guidance as well as international good practices.
“We have promulgated Bangladesh Atomic Energy Regulatory Act- 2012 to strengthen national nuclear regulatory infrastructure to ensure safe and secured applications to nuclear techniques and building the country’s first nuclear power plant- Rooppur NPP,” she said.
Held under the auspices of Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission and the Ministry of Science and Technology, the function was addressed by former Russian Prime Minister and Director General of Russia’s State Atomic Energy Commission (ROSATOM) Sergey Kirienko, Planning Minister Air Vice Marshal (retd) AK Khandakar, State Minister for Home Advocate Shamsul Haque Tuku and Head of Department of Technical Cooperation of IAEA Osqar Acquino.
Chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on the Science and Technology Ministry Alhaz Dabirul Islam, local MP Shamsur Rahman Sharif Dilu, Director General of Bangladesh Atomic Energy Centre Mahmudul Hasan also spoke on the occasion while state minister for Science and Technology Architect Yeafesh Osman was in the chair.
Secretary of the ministry Rafiqul Islam delivered the welcome address while chairman of Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission Abu Sayeed M Firoz gave vote of thanks.
The Prime Minister said an independent nuclear regulatory authority called Bangladesh Atomic Energy Regulatory Authority
has already been formed.
Besides, she said, bilateral relationship with the nuclear regulatory body of Russian Federation as well as the IAEA has been established for the capacity building of our national nuclear regulatory authority.
The Prime Minister said during her bilateral talks with the ussian President in Moscow in January last, she requested Vladimir Putin for consideration of an innovative-friendly approach in constructing Rooppur NPP with the safest reactor design.
She said this could be capable of tolerating any severe man- made or natural events, namely seismic events, tsunami, flooding and other natural events and generate electricity in a safe, secured and economic manner in the reactor’s life time.
Sheikh Hasian said the Russian President assured her of providing the latest and safest nuclear technology for Rooppur NPP.
“We believe that the Russian Federation will follow international standards in every stage of Rooppur NPP implementation and also provide Bangladesh with a technology that will operate safely and effectively under any climatic condition,” she said.
The Prime Minister said the government is very happy and satisfied with the assurance of Russian government for cooperation in the establishment of an appropriate nuclear power infrastructure of Bangladesh.
“We are also happy and satisfied with the development of manpower for operation and maintenance of Rooppur NPP as well as management of radioactive waste and taking spent fuel back to the Russian Federation,” she said.
Sheikh Hasina said her government recognizes that electricity is a key ingredient for socio-economic development of the country. So, the government has under taken a plan to make the self reliant in power generation by 2020.
Over the last four and half years a total of 34 power plants were constructed and 54 now remain under construction. Eleven coal-based power plant with capacity of 1,300 MW each would be constructed jointly with India, China and Malaysia and 250 MW power out of 500 MW purchased from India will be added to national grid on Saturday next.
“Adequate and reliable supply of electricity is an important pre-requisite for attracting both domestic and foreign investment. That’s why, we have set up a goal of providing electricity to all citizens and economic sectors,” she said.
The Prime Minister said although there are many arenas of the peaceful use of nuclear energy, the generation of electricity by
using nuclear energy has been given top most priority by the present government considering the chronic power shortage of the country.
Presently, she said, the country is evolving an energy-mix diversification, where generation of 10 percent of electricity from nuclear energy by 2021 through early implementation of nuclear power project is assumed as one of the choices to meet the growing energy needs.
Sheikh Hasina recalled with gratitude the greatest Bangalee of all time, Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, who took initiative to implement the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant after the country’s independence. She also expressed her gratitude to Russian Federation and its friendly people for their cooperation in implementing this project.
“As a trusted friend, Russia not only extended material and moral support to our liberation war in 1971, but also took part in rebuilding war-ravaged Bangladesh after the independence,” she said.
Dhaka inked a crucial framework agreement with Moscow for construction of the nuclear power plant on May 21, 2010. Under
the agreement, ROSATOM will construct two units of the Rooppur NPP, each of 1,000 MW capacity, at a cost of $1.5 to 2 billion.
The groundbreaking ceremony took place two years after Bangladesh signed a landmark deal with Russia on November 2, 2011 finalising arrangements to install the country’s first ever nuclear power plant.
eNewsDesk / @rrajowan / Photo Credit : FocusBangla
