‘Rosatom happy to be part of building RNPP in Bangladesh’

Rosatom Director General Alexey Likhachev on Wednesday expressed happiness for being his corporation a part of Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's effort to build nuclear power plant here as authorities installed the reactor pressure vessel (RPV) at Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant (RNPP)'s Unit-2.

"It's a great honour for Rosatom Corporation to be a part of the Bangladesh Prime Minister's effort," he said, adding Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is working relentlessly to strengthen her country's energy security.

Rosatom helps in constructing the first 2400MW (megawatt) nuclear power plant in Bangladesh following all the rules and regulations, he said.

He was addressing the reactor pressure vessel installation inauguration ceremony at RNPP in Ishwardi of Pabna.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina opened the installation of the reactor pressure vessel (RPV) at Unit-2 of the 2400MW RNPP at the function.

The installation is perceived enabling Bangladesh to reach nearer to produce electricity from the nuclear power.

Likhachev said the Russian state run corporation 'Rosatom' is making relentless efforts to supply nuclear fuel to the reactors from next year, while tremendous work progress in RNPP was witnessed in the last one year.

"We are now actively working to install cooling equipment in the first unit," he said.

He also said the Rosatom is providing training to Bangladeshis who will work in the RNPP in future, adding, "They are being trained in phases. Rosatom has already trained 300 Bangladeshis in Russia."

"Some 624 experts have started working. We are giving training to 17 more specialists, who will work in this power plant in the future," said Likhachev.

He said during the Covid-19 pandemic, the construction work of the RNPP continued due to close relationship between Bangladesh and Russia.

According to the project details, the first unit of the nuclear power plant will supply 1,200MW electricity in 2023 and the same amount of electricity will be available from the second unit in 2024.

The Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission is implementing the Rooppur project with the technical and financial support of Russia. The project's construction cost, including manpower training, amounts to $12.65 billion, and 90 per cent of it is being funded by Russia.

From the date of its commercial run, the plant is expected to produce electricity for 60 years while the economic life of a conventional power plant is 25 years.

Along with its long-lasting service, the plant will also help Bangladesh generate electricity without emitting carbon dioxide into the environment which is a common externality in conventional power plants run mainly on coal, gas, and oil.

In October last year, the prime minister inaugurated the reactor pressure vessel at the first unit of the plant that enabled Bangladesh as the 33rd country to have a nuclear reactor for producing electricity from nuclear energy.

Science and Technology Minister Architect Yeafesh Osman chaired the programme, while Ziaul Hasan, senior secretary at the ministry gave the welcome address.

Yeafesh Osman said with the Rooppur NPP Bangladesh has reached very close to produce electricity from nuclear technology.

“As of now, the work of the project is going on as per the timeline and we are hopeful about completing the project within the deadline,” he added.