Construction work of Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant begins

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has inaugurated the main construction work of much awaited Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant.

She inaugurated the first nuclear project of the country through pouring concrete molding with her own hands at 11 am on Thursday.

High officials of both the countries including General Manager of Russia’s State Atomic Energy Corporation-Rosatom Alexey Likhachev were present during the occasion.

This power plant will supply 2400 mega watt electricity to the national grid by the year 2024. Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission is implementing the project under coverage of Science and Technology Ministry with financial and technological assistance from Russia through Rosatom.

In this connection an agreement was signed between Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission (BAEC) and JSC Atomstroyexport on 25^th December, 2015.

BAEC Chairman Md. Monirul Alam and Atomstroyexport Vice President Vladimir N Savuskhin signed the contract on behalf of their respective organizations.

Rosatom appointed Russian Atostroyexport will implement the project with a cost of 12.65 billion dollars. Earlier, in January, 2013 credit agreement worth 500 million dollars was signed with Russia to provide project engineering design, site development and personal training and an agreement was signed with Rosatom in 2011to construct the nuclear power plant.

According to the agreement, Russia will provide all out cooperation to set up the power plant. The country will also supply fuel and take back the used fuel from the plant.

The project which is being constructed on 262 acres of land has the capacity of producing 2 thousand 4 hundred megawatt electricity from two units.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina laid the foundation stone of this nuclear power plant at Rooppur in Ishwardi of Pabna on 2^nd October 2013.

AH/ MK