Dhaka, Bangladesh, March 17 – Alexey Likhachev, Director General of ROSATOM met with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Wazed in the People’s Republic of Bangladesh. During the meeting, the Parties discussed issues of bilateral cooperation while development and use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes.
The delegation visited Rooppur NPP, the site for construction of the first Nuclear Power Plant in Bangladesh. Members of the delegation inspected the facilities under construction and visited Green City, the township for the Russian specialists.
“A good pace of construction has been set. I am glad that our specialists have the opportunity to live, engage in leisure activities and receive medical care in a specially built micro-district”, – Alexey Likhachev said after visiting the NPP construction site.
In the course of the visit the Parties signed a package of documents, providing for further cooperation in the field of nuclear power. In particular, the Parties signed a Protocol on amending the Intergovernmental Agreement between the Government of the Russian Federation and the Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh on construction of the Nuclear Power Plant in Bangladesh in terms of cooperation between the Parties for rendering assistance in operation, maintenance and repair of Rooppur NPP. The Protocol was signed by Mr. Alexey Likhachev, Director General of Rosatom State Corporation and H.E. Yeafesh Osman, Hon’ble Minister of Science and Technology of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh.
The Protocol confirms the right of the Bangladeshi Party to engage Russian organization on a long term basis to render assistance in operation, maintenance and repair of Rooppur NPP Unit 1 and 2 and supply the equipment, consumables and spare parts as well as to provide services on training of the operating and maintenance personnel during NPP operation . Based on this Protocol ROSATOM will be able to carry out maintenance, operational support and repair works at Rooppur NPP in the framework of assistance to the Bangladeshi Party in ensuring the operation of Rooppur NPP throughout its life cycle.
In addition, in presence of Mr. Alexey Likhachev, Director General of ROSATOM, and H.E. Yeafesh Osman, Hon’ble Minister of Science and Technology of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh, TVEL JSC and the Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission signed a complete package of annexes to the Contract for supply of the nuclear fuel for Rooppur NPP. The Contract is valid until the end of the life cycle of both Rooppur NPP Power Units. Rooppur NPP will be the first Nuclear Power Plant to be built abroad based on the generation III+ design (NPP-2006) that will operate with 18-months fuel cycle.
During the visit, meetings were also held with H.E. Dr. A.K. Abdul Momen, Hon’ble Foreign Minister of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh and H.E. Yeafesh Osman, Hon’ble Minister of Science and Technology of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh.
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Rooppur NPP with two VVER-1200 reactors and the total capacity of 2400 MW is being constructed based on the Russian design, 160 km from Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, in accordance with General Contract dated December 25, 2015. The General Contractor for Rooppur NPP construction is Atomstroyexport (the engineering division of ROSATOM).
The Russian design with VVER-1200 reactors was selected for the first NPP in Bangladesh, that was successfully implemented at Unit No 1 of Novovoronezh NPP-2. This is an evolutionary GenIII+ design which fully complies with all international safety requirements. In 2017, the new Russian power unit was named among the three best Nuclear Power Units in the Word by the well-known international magazine POWER (USA). In 2015-2016 preparatory works were performed at the construction site, detail design documentation and materials for receiving the site license and the license for the NPP construction, were developed. On November 30, 2017 the ceremony of first concrete pouring for the foundation of Rooppur NPP Unit No 1 was held. On July 8, 2018 Bangldesh Atomic Energy Regulatory Authority (BAERA) issued the license for commencement of construction of Unit No. 2, Rooppur NPP. On July 14, 2014 the active stage of construction of Unit No 2 commenced – the ceremony of first concrete pouring into the Power Unit foundation was held. Each stage of Rooppur NPP construction in Bangladesh is closely monitored by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and by the National Regulatory Authority.
