Russia-Bangladesh
Bangladesh and Russia struck Thursday an agreement to install the country’s first nuclear power plant to generate around 2,000 megawatts (mw) of electricity at Rooppur in Pabna.
The deal with Russia paves the way for the construction of two most modern reactors having the electricity generation capacity of 1,000 mw each.
Deputy Director General of Russian State Nuclear Company (Rosatom) Nikolay Spasskiy and Secretary of the ministry of Science and ICT Md Abdur Rob Howlader signed the deal on behalf of their respective countries at Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission.
The plant might cost US$ 1.5 to 2.0 billion and is expected to be completed by 2017-18, a senior official of Science and ICT said.
Under the deal, Rosatom will supply necessary fuel for the reactors during its life-term and take back spent fuel.
Russia will also manage nuclear waste and help decommissioning of the nuclear power plant in future, under the deal.
Science and ICT Ministry of Bangladesh will act as the Competent Authority of the government, while Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission will act as the customer of the nuclear power plant project from Bangladesh part.
For Russia, Rosatom will act as the Competent Authority to implement the project
State Minister for Science and ICT Yeafesh Osman, Russian Ambassador to Bangladesh Gennady P. Trotsenko and Chairman of Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission Dr Md Farid Uddin Ahmed were also present during the agreement signing ceremony.
Bangladesh earlier signed a five-year framework agreement with Russia in May 2010 and a memorandum of understanding (MoU) in 2009 for building the
Rooppur nuclear power plant.
Russia is set to offer a funding mechanism to build the nuclear power plant under the agreement.
To implement terms of the agreement both the countries agreed to set up a joint coordinating committee that will include representatives to be nominated by Rosatom and the Russian Ministry of Natural Resources and Ecology, and those by Bangladesh’s commission on nuclear energy and the ministry of science and ICT.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) allowed Bangladesh to install nuclear power plant in 2007 along with seven other developing nations for peaceful installation of nuclear power plant.
Country’s unprecedented electricity supply crunch has prompted Bangladesh going after installation of its first nuclear power plant reviving around half-a-century old Rooppur project.
News Source: The Financial Express
