Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant to get powerful reactors: Rosatom DG

Bangladesh will get high power reactors for Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant (RNPP) for optimum generation of electricity, said Rosatom Director General Alexey Likhachev on Thursday.

Fresh nuclear fuel for the country’s first-ever nuclear power project will come in October next year, he said.

Likhachev said this during a call on Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at her official residence Ganabhaban, according to PM’s Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim.

Rosatom is the Russian contractor for the implementation of the US$12.65 billion nuclear power project.

The meeting took place a day after the prime minister inaugurated the installation of the final reactor at the second unit of the 2400 MW plant being built at Rooppur in northern Pabna district. The RNPP will have two units each having the electricity generation capacity of 1200 MW.

The Rosatom chief informed the PM that they want to celebrate the bringing of the fresh nuclear fuel in Bangladesh with the participation of International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) director general and relevant officials.

He said that Russia is also interested in conducting research on nuclear science and technology in Bangladesh. He mentioned that they are training the Bangladeshi manpower for the RNPP.

Besides, he said, Russia is proving assistance in building infrastructure for nuclear governance in Bangladesh.

Likhachev briefed the prime minister about the development and progress of the work on the RNPP.

The prime minister thanked Russia, particularly the Rosatom DG, for extending support and continuing the construction work in full swing even during the Covid-19 pandemic.

She also appreciated Russia for their support in the power and energy sector since Bangladesh’s independence in 1971.

Sheikh Hasina told the Rosatom chief that Russia may give emphasis on manpower development of RNPP so that Bangladeshi personnel could become capable in operating and maintaining the plant independently. She also laid emphasis on security aspects of the nuclear power plant.

Ambassador-at-large Mohammad Ziauddin, Prime Minister’s Principal Secretary Ahmad Kaikaus, Senior Secretary of the Ministry of Science and Technology Ziaul Hasan, Bangladesh Ambassador to Russia Kamrul Ahsan and Russian Ambassador in Dhaka Alexander Mantytskiy were present during the meeting.