Another nuclear power plant in southern region: PM

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Sunday said her government has been mulling setting up another nuclear power plant in the southern region of Bangladesh to meet the increased demand for electricity.

“We are going to install another (nuclear) power plant after completion of the existing one. We will construct it in the southern region. If we can build another nuclear power plant, we will no longer face a power crisis,” she said.

“We’re looking for a place in the Southern region…It’s difficult to find hard soil there but we’re surveying various islands and different places to find a suitable one,” she said.

The prime minister said this while opening the installation work of reactor pressure vessels inside the physical structure of unit-1 of the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant.

The prime minister said the government has set a target to make the country a developed one within 2041. “Already, we’ve got the status of a developing country…This is not enough.”

In 2071, the prime minister said, the country will celebrate its 100 years of independence. “That will surely be celebrated by the new generation in a beautiful, developed, prosperous and modern technology knowledge-based country,” she said.

Joining the programme from Ganabhaban through video conferencing, the prime minister said the government has formulated the Delta Plan 2100 so that this country never lags behind and no clutch of vultures falls upon this country ever.

The Rooppur plant is expected to add 2,400MW of electricity to the national grid by 2024, helping the country meet its increasing demand.

The nuclear power plant, designed and built by the engineering division of Rosatom State Atomic Energy Corporation of Russia, will consist of two such VVER-1200 reactor power units; their life cycle is expected to be 60 years, with the possible extension of service life of another 20 years.

The Russian design with VVER-1200 reactors, successfully implemented at Novovoronezh NPP-2, was selected for the first NPP in Bangladesh.

The plant will have two power units with an electrical capacity of 1,200 MW each.

Science and Technology Minister Architect Yeafesh Osman, Director General of Rosatom State Atomic Energy Corporation of Russia and Secretary of Science and Technology Ministry Ziaul Hasan also spoke at the event.

She said her government wants to ensure electricity for all and the nuclear power plant will play a significant role in this regard.

She described the installation of the reactor pressure vessel in the Rooppur nuke plant as a matter of pride for the country and its people. “New distribution lines are also being installed from the nuclear power plant,” she said, hoping that electricity from there will reach houses in 2023-24.

Regarding security and safety in the plant areas, the PM said a four-tier security measure has been taken using the modern technologies in the nuke plant. “So, there’s no chance of any unwanted accident to happen in the country’s maiden nuclear power plant.”

Hasina said setting up a nuclear power plant in Rooppur is a new experience for the country’s scientists, engineers and those who are working in the atomic energy sector. “Necessary training has also been arranged to develop skilled manpower to run such a sophisticated and highly technical establishment,” she added.

Hasina also extended her thanks to Russian President Vladimir Putin for his country’s support to Bangladesh in setting up the nuclear power plant in Rooppur.

The prime minister said the IAEA safety standard and other relevant guidance, as well as international good practices, are being strictly followed in constructing the plant.

Sheikh Hasina said the construction of the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant is the long-cherished dream that was sown in 1961 and the Awami League government after assuming office in 1996 revived the project for its implementation.

After coming to power in 2001, she said, the BNP-Jamaat government shut implementation of many people-centric programmes and the Rooppur power plant was such a project that was not implemented.

The BNP-Jamaat government during their tenure did not produce a single MW of power rather they engaged in corruption, she said.

The prime minister said after assuming office in 2009, the AL government took up the project again and the Russian Federation came forward to help implement the project.