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Dhaka Thursday,  Mar 28, 2024

Complete Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant Work Within Timeframe: PM

BSS

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today irected the authorities concerned to complete the work of the much-awaited Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant, the first of its kind in the country, within the timeframe.

“I hope that the work on the (nuclear) power plant would go ahead in line with the timeframe,” she said,asking the authorities concerned to discharge their respective duties with utmost sincerity in this regard.

The Premier made the directives while chairing the 4th meeting of the National Committee for Monitoring and Providing Necessary Directives for Properly Implementing the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant Project. The meeting was held at the Prime Minister’s Office here this morning.

Briefing reporters after the meeting, PM’s Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim said the meeting discussed in detail the overall progress of the mega project.

It also reviewed the progress of the decisions taken in its previous meeting.

Science and Technology Ministry Secretary Mohammad Sirajul Haque Khan made a power-point presentation on the scheme.

The Prime Minister in the meeting said that her government during its 1996-2001 term took initiative for execution of the project after holding discussions with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

But following the changeover of power, she said, the successive government did not take any initiatives for implementing this project.

After assuming office again in 2009, the Prime Minister said that her government took initiative for executing the project after taking permission from the IAEA.

Sheikh Hasina said before undertaking the project, she had received assurance from the Russian government that the Russian authorities concerned would manage the waste of the nuclear power plant since Bangladesh has no such experience in this regard.

The Premier said that through implementation of this project, the power generation capacity of the country would be boosted, while the Bangladeshi scientists would also gather necessary knowledge on nuclear power alongside.

Besides, she said, employment for a huge number of people would be generated in the project area.

Finance Minister AMA Muhith, Agriculture Minister Begum Matia Chowdhury, Water Resources Minister Barrister Anisul Islam Mahmud, Forests and Environment Minister Anwar Hossain Monju, Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali, Planning Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal, Shipping Minister Shajahan Khan, Science and Technology Minister Architect Yeafesh Osman, PM’s Advisers HT Imam, Dr Moshiur Rahman and Dr Tawfik-E-Elahi Chowdhury, Board of Investment Executive Chairman Dr SA Samad, PM’s Principal Secretary Md Abul Kalam Azad and secretaries concerned were present at the meeting.

Earlier on December 25 last year, the Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission (BAEC) and Russian company, JSC Atomstroyexport, signed a general contract for construction of Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) at a ceremony held at the Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel. BAEC Chairman Md Monirul Islam and Vice President of Atomstroyexport
Vladimir N Savuskhin signed the contract on behalf of their respective organisations.

Atomostroyexport, the contractor appointed by Russia’s state-owned atomic power body , Rosatom, will construct the NPP at a cost of $12.65 billion, out of which, $10.1 billion has been fixed as base price, $1 billion for soil stabilisation and further cost, and the remaining $1.65 billion for price escalation.

On December 15, the government finalised the amount for the biggest-ever investment project in the country’s history by inking an initial agreement with Russia.

Earlier in January 2013, an inter-governmental agreement was signed for the provision of a $500 million Russian loan to finance engineering design, site development and personnel training.

On November 2, 2011, Bangladesh signed a deal with Russia’s state-owned nuclear giant Rosatom to construct the nuclear plant in the country’s northwest region. Russia will provide all assistance under the agreement for setting up the plant, including providing the fuel and taking back the used fuel.

A total of 262 acres of land have been acquired to set up two units of the plant with a capacity of 2,000- MW.

On October 2, 2013, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina laid the foundation stone of the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant (RNPP) at Iswardi in Pabna.

The first unit of the much-awaited Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant (RNPP) is set to be commissioned by 2021- 2022, Minister for Science and Technology Architect Yeafesh Osman told Jatiya Sangsad on September 7 last.

“It’s expected that the first unit of the RNPP would be commissioned and its electricity would be added to the national grid by 2021-2022,” he said in reply to a query from treasury bench member Begum Pinu Khan (women seat-23).

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