Second unit’s reactor installation in October

Installation of the reactor pressure vessel of the second unit of the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant (RNPP) will start in October next.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is scheduled to inaugurate the installation process virtually on October 16, said Science and Technology Minister Yeafesh Osman.

He disclosed the information at a seminar, “Possibilities and Challenges of Atomic Energy in Bangladesh in the New Global Reality”, organised by Atomic Reporters Bangladesh (ARB) at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Novo Theatre auditorium in the capital on Saturday.

The minister said during the pandemic, many economists of our country called for a halt in the construction of the power plant. But the government decided to carry on the construction as 20,000 people are directly involved with this project.

“The livelihood of nearly one lakh people, including their families, depends on this project. If the work of the project is stopped, the lives of these people would also stop,” he added.

Talking about safety of RNPP, minister said Bangladesh’s nuclear power plant is completely safe and there is no reason to worry about it. Indian experts are cooperating with us to check the quality of work in Rooppur. A core catcher has been installed for added safety.

At the seminar, Project Director of RNPP Mohammad Shawkat Akbar said that even if any kind of accident happens in RNPP, there will be no impact beyond 300 meters of the project area.

The project director said the price of electricity produced from this nuclear power plant will be lower than that of coal-fired power plant.

In a presentation at the seminar, Dhaka University’s Nuclear Engineering Departmnt Professor Md Shafiqul Islam said the highest price of per unit electricity produced in RNPP will be Tk 6.38 and the lowest price will be Tk 4.38. The price of per unit electricity produced in coal-based power plant is Tk 10.31 now.