Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina called upon the Russian state-run ROSATOM on Tuesday to set up another nuclear power plant at Rooppur, if there is any scope for that, reports BSS.
The premier made the request when ROSATOM Director General Alexey Likhachev called on her at her official residence Ganabhaban in Dhaka.
Briefing the reporters after the meeting, Prime Minister's Speech Writer Md Nazrul Islam said that Sheikh Hasina asked them to go for constructing new plants on the site of Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant (RNPP) after completion of the ongoing project.
She also pointed out that a technical survey needed to be conducted at the initial stage for setting up two new units.
The Prime Minister directed the authorities concerned to complete all the formalities of bringing back the "Spent Nuclear Fuel" of first and second units of RNPP to the Russian Federation.
In reply, the ROSATOM Director General gave assurance on behalf of the Russian government regarding the return of the Spent Nuclear Fuel produced by the first and second units to the Russian Federation, and promised to complete all the formalities for the return of the Spent Nuclear Fuel to the Russian Federation on time as per the instructions of the Prime Minister.
Bangladesh government and the Russian Federation government have already signed an inter-state agreement regarding the return of the Spent Nuclear Fuel of RNPP to the Russian Federation.
Sheikh Hasina thanked Russia for building energy security especially setting up this nuclear power plant in Bangladesh.
She said that it was the dream of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman to set up a nuclear power plant in Bangladesh, and it is being implemented and she thanked Russia for this.
Sheikh Hasina recalled the assistance of Russia in 1971 during the War of Liberation of Bangladesh and helped the country in its rebuilding process after the war.
The Prime Minister also greeted Russian President Vladimir Putin on his reelection.
Alexey Likhachev apprised the Prime Minister about the advancement of the RNPP and said by 2025, the RNPP will come into production and will be able to supplement electricity to the national grid.
He also said that 85 percent works of the RNPP has been completed.
The ROSATOM Director General also proposed to the government to build two new nuclear power units (Unit-3 and Unit-4) in RNPP area.
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