Human Resource Development for the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant Project has started with 100 scientists and engineers from the different domestic universities joining the Nuclear Power Plant Company Ltd (NPPBCL). Among the newly appointed personnel, 70 are engineers, 24 are scientific officers and six are administrative officers.
The mass joining ceremony took place in an elaborate function at the project site of Rooppur in the Pabna district. With the joining ceremony, the country’s first nuclear power plant got its first batch of Bangladeshi scientist and engineers. The newly joined professionals will eventually get training from Russia and India. After that they will take charge of the RNPP.
A Joint Training Advisory Commission (JTAC) is formed by Bangladesh and Russia to perform operations like manpower selection, training, recruitment and quality examination.
Engineers are divided into their respective branches. Twenty professionals are being appointed in civil engineering section along with 28 in the mechanical department, 20 in electrical section and two in the chemical engineering department. Among the scientific officers, 13 people have been appointed in the department of physics along with four in applied physics, five in nuclear engineering and two in chemistry. In addition, two persons have been appointed in the Human Resources Department along with two in the Department of Finance and Accounts and two in the Environment Department.
NPPBCL Managing Director and RNPP Project Director Dr. Shawkat Akbar said that the recruitment was done through talent hunt from the local universities. “The skill of these scientists and engineers will be developed to the international standards for the construction and operation of this power plant safely and environmentally under the general agreement of the nuclear program. These scientists and engineers will be sent to Russia and India for training, according to the contract for development of human resources,” he added.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the construction of the RNPP by first concrete pouring program on November 30, 2017. With the help of the International Atomic Energy Agency, more than 200 scientists of the Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission have been trained in different divisions. Most of this trained manpower is currently involved in different areas of the implementation of the project and preparing different deals related to the project.
Science Secretary Anwar Hossain said: “In future, a modern training center will be set up in Rooppur project area for developing skilled manpower for the management and maintenance of the power plant. There will be advanced training facility as well.” Nearly 2,700 people will be required to operate and maintain Rooppur nuclear power plant safely and with efficiency. Of these 2,535 people will work on the RNPP project site.
Among these 2,535 professionals, a total of 1,424 people will be provided with necessary training in international standard at different times till 2022 under the general agreement. This training will be organized in Russia and India. All new recruits will be sent to training this month. Then in 2019, 251 people will be sent for training along with 309 in 2020, 507 in 2021 and 86 in 2022.
The trained scientists and engineers will get necessary license for the management and maintenance of power plants after the successful completion of the training. Then they will start operating the power plant jointly with the Russian experts.