Power Sector Investments

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Shahiduzzaman Khan's front page analysis on the matter, published by you on 8th. July, is in my opinion seriously incomplete. I wonder why responsible people in the government who are concerned, including our Atomic Energy Commission, are totally unaware that we will never be able to have a U-236 based reactor for power generation. The Power System Master Plan (PSMP) states, that it plans to generate 35000 MW by 2030 and that 60 percent (i.e.21000 MW) will come from coal and nuclear energy! Even if we assume that 10 percent comes from nuclear source; then its contribution would be 2100 MW. This represents at least two to four Nuclear power plants!
Nothing is mentioned about the fuel to be used for these nuclear power plants in the analysis. If it is to be U-236; then I can confidently state that Bangladesh will not be provided with U-236 fueled nuclear reactors, despite the much publicized agreement with Russia. The simple reason is that, no western power and even Russia or China, will provide us with U-236 fueled nuclear reactor; so long as the possibility exists of our non-secular and fundamentalist political party (Jamaat) coming to power in Bangladesh. The sectors concerned abroad at most levels involved in nuclear power sector are wary of Jamaat. I met many of them in the USA in early 2009 at close personal level. May be a 1MW experimental reactor, for non-power generation; is about the most we may ever get!
They will use one excuse or another, but a U-236 based reactor for power plant, will not be provided even if we want to purchase it in cash foreign exchange! This is the fundamental fact in international nuclear circles; which I am sure we should be knowing.
The only option is to go for non-radiation, non dangerous U-238 based, tried and proven power plants. That, and the fuel for it, can be provided by China and many other countries! However, for conventional sized power plants, these are built up of multiple units of around 20MW modules in parallel, for maximum sizes of 100 to 150 MW; having one central control panel. China is now installing the world's largest U-238 based nuclear power plant, rated at 400MW!
Without appreciating these basic underlying facts, I feel that we are just beating around the bush or bluffing about U-236 nuclear power plants! I believe that these are nothing but 'pipe dreams' of our many superficial planners and experts. They have not done their homework on the basic matters related to U-236 based commercial nuclear reactors which they claim are being made available for our power sector!

Engr.S.A.Mansoor
Dhaka.