Russian firm begins work this month

Russian company JSC Atomstroyexport will start preparatory works for construction of Bangladesh's first nuclear power plant of 1,000-megawatt capacity this month as Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission (BAEC) has issued permission, a top official said.
"We have permitted the Russian firm Monday to start the preparatory works as per the deal in our previous contracts," Project Director of the nuclear power plant Shawkat Akbar told the FE Tuesday.
The power plant will be installed at Rooppur in northern Pabna district at a cost of around US$1.5-2.0 billion.
Bangladesh and Russia earlier had agreed in a contract in June to complete the spadework for the nuclear power unit-a far-fetched dream so far.
 "The Russian firm will complete the preparatory works by 2016," said Mr Akbar.
Under the terms of the deal, Atomstroyexport will undertake a series of structural works at the plant site which will cost US$190 million.
Construction of an initial base for the plant and a residential village for the contractor's personnel are among the works to be completed as preparatory works for the nuclear power plant.
Russian firm JSC NIAEP, the management company of Atomstroyexport, in October 2013 signed a $265 million deal with Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission, or BAEC, to develop the engineering design for the Rooppur plant.
Bangladesh's government in January 2013 put construction of the 1,000-MW unit, country's first nuclear plant, on a fast track for quick implementation to ease the country's electricity shortfalls.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina laid the foundation stone for the nuclear power unit at Rooppur on October 2, 2013.
NIAEP will complete the engineering design within 18 months and Russia's Rosatom will construct the plant and supply fuel for the reactors. Also, it will take back spent fuel, according to a memorandum of understanding signed by Russia and Bangladesh in May 2010.
Russia will also manage nuclear waste and help with the future decommissioning of the power plant. In January 2013, Russia agreed to lend Bangladesh an initial amount of $500 million to help finance construction of the Rooppur plant.
The project is a part of government's Power Sector Master Plan to install plants to generate some 24,000MW new electricity by 2021.
The project's first phase was approved by the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council in April 2013. Its estimated cost is $652 million.
Bangladesh hopes to add nuclear power to the national grid by 2020.
"A 25-member national committee, headed by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, is working to provide necessary instructions for smooth implementation of the South Asian country's first nuclear power plant," Akbar said
Ministers of different ministries, secretaries and Prime Minister's adviser on energy issues are the members of the national committee.
The government has also formed eight sub-committees to facilitate the working groups for implementation of the nuclear power plant, he added.
The sub-committees are working to prepare legal and regulatory aspects, nuclear safety and security under international obligations, formulate a policy for nuclear fuel cycle and management of radioactive waste and decommissioning and development of necessary human resources, Akbar added.