Rooppur to get powerful reactors

Bangladesh will get high-powered reactors for Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant (RNPP) for optimum generation of electricity, said Rosatom Director General Alexey Likhachev yesterday.

Fresh nuclear fuel for the country’s first-ever nuclear power project will come in October next year, Likhachev said.

Likhachev said this during a call on Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at her official residence Gono Bhaban, according to the prime minister’s Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim.

Rosatom is the Russian contractor for the implementation of the US$12.65 billion nuclear power project.

The meeting took place a day after the prime minister inaugurated the installation of the final reactor at the second unit of the 2400 MW plant being built at Rooppur in northern Pabna district.

The Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant will have two units each having the electricity generation capacity of 1200 MW.

Likhachev said Russia is also interested in conducting research on nuclear science and technology in Bangladesh. He mentioned that they are training the Bangladeshi manpower for the RNPP.

The prime minister thanked Russia, particularly the Rosatom DG, for extending support and continuing the construction work in full swing even during the Covid-19 pandemic.