BD, Russian sides ink deal to complete preparatory work

FE Report | Published: June 09, 2014 00:00:00 | Updated: November 30, 2026 06:01:00

Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission (BAEC) has inked a deal with the Russian JSC Atomstroyexport to complete the preparatory work for the country's first 1,000 megawatt (mw) nuclear power unit at Rooppur in northern Pabna district.
The two sides inked the deal at a simple ceremony at the BAEC office at Agargaon in the city Thursday.
Under the terms of the deal, Atomstroyexport would undertake a series of structural work at the plant site which would cost US$190 million, Project Director Shawkat Akbar told the FE Sunday.
The work would include construction of an initial base for the plant and a residential village for the contractor's personnel to be completed under the agreement, he said.
The Cabinet Committee on Government Purchase last week approved signing of the deal with JSC Atomstroyexport to undertake the first phase of installation of the Rooppur plant.
Russian firm JSC NIAEP, the management company of Atomstroyexport, earlier in October 2013 signed a $265 million deal with the BAEC to develop the engineering design for the Rooppur plant.
The government in January 2014 put construction of the 1,000 mw unit, the country's first nuclear plant, on a fast-track for quick implementation of it to ease the electricity crisis.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina laid the foundation stone for the first nuclear power unit at Rooppur on October 2, 2013.
Under the deal, NIAEP will complete the engineering design for the construction of nuclear power plant within 18 months and Russia's Rosatom will construct the plant and supply fuel for the reactors as well as take back spent fuel, according to a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed by Russia and Bangladesh in May 2010.
Russia will also manage nuclear waste and help in future decommissioning of the power plant. In January 2013, Russia agreed to provide Bangladesh with an initial $500 million loan to help finance construction of the Rooppur plant.
The project is a part of the government's Power Sector Master Plan to build its 24,000 mw new electricity generation capacity by 2021.
The project's first phase was approved by the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) in April 2013 at an estimated cost of $652 million.
The government is eyeing to add nuclear power to the national grid by 2020.