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Dhaka Thursday,  Mar 28, 2024

The Beginning Of The Nuclear Era In Bangladesh 

Rafiqul Bashar

The process of becoming a nuclear nation has started for Bangladesh as the Prime Minister has inaugurated the core construction process of the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant on 30th November. Once fully implemented, Bangladesh will be the 32nd nuclear nation in the world and third in the South-Asia.

This has brought us a step closer to become a middle-income country. While inaugurating the construction of the plant Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said that, the power plant is designed in a way that ensured the highest security. She added that, the plant will be capable of handling catastrophic disasters. It was a dream project for Bangladesh and the country is now full filling its dream abiding by all the regulations of International Atomic Energy Association (IAEA). The power plant will provide the country with 10 percent of the total power of the country. The government has plans to develop more such nuclear power plants in the near future, she added.

The country’s premier said that, according to the Awami-league’s vision 2021 she has a plan to make this country a middle-income country within 2021. To make this happening we have sorted out things that need the highest priority and we are implementing our plans in according to that, she added.

Russian state-run nuclear agency Rosatom Director General Alexey Likhachev said that, the power plant will serve for more than 100 years. He added that, we’re not only implementing the power plant, we’re strengthening our friendship with Bangladesh which will continue for the generation to generation.

Science and Technology Minister Architect Yeafesh Osman presided over the inauguration program. PM’s Economic Affairs Adviser Dr Moshiur Rahman, Energy Adviser Dr Towfique-e-Elahi Chowdhury, Security Adviser Major General (retd) Tariq Ahmed Siddiq, Chief of Army Staff General Abu Belal Muhammad Shafiul Huq, PM’s Principal Secretary Dr Kamal Abdul Naser Chowdhury, Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim, Russian Ambassador to Bangladesh Alexander Ignatov, Russia’s state-run atomic energy body Rosatom’s Director General Alexey Likhachev, Chief Engineer of Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission Md Abdur Razzak and project director of the plant and senior officials of Bangladesh and Russia were present on the occasion.

The Atomic Energy Commission (BAEC) has been implementing the 2,400 MW RNPP project at an estimated cost of $12.65 billion. Russian nuclear agency Rosatom is working as its contractor. The first unit of this plant is likely to be in operation by the year of 2023 and the second one is to be operational by the October of 2024. Each of the units will have a capacity of generating 1,200 MW of electricity with a lifespan of more than 100 years. Currently, there is 2,200 personnel are working at the plant, 450 of them are Russian experts. In future, the power plant will require 12,500 personnel in total to operate it and 2,500 of them will be Russian experts.

Rooppur - energy bangla

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