During Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's official visit to China, Bangladesh signed on June 09 last an agreement with China for building a 1320MW coal-fired power plant at Kalapara in Patuakhali. The ultra-supercritical coal-fired power plant is set to be built under a joint venture between the North-West Power Generation Company Limited of Bangladesh and the China National Machinery Import and Export Company (CMC).
Bangladesh signed earlier an agreement with the government of Japan on assistance for building a 1,320MW coal-fired power plant at Matarbari in Moheshkhali during Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's official visit to Japan at the end of May.
Despite the successful cooperation agreements with Japan and China in coal-fired power development, concerned departments of the government do not expect commissioning of major coal-fired power plants before 2020.
Both the coal-fired power plants are contemplated to depend on imported coal. Import of coal on a large scale for the two coal-fired power plants will require major infrastructure development as the coal will be shipped from major exporting countries like Indonesia, Australia and South Africa.
The government's another major power generation source will be the 2,000-MW Ruppoor Nuclear Power Plant (RNPP) at Ruppoor in Pabna. The Russian government has agreed to support Bangladesh's endeavour in the implementation of the project. As reported, Tk 20.06 billion (2,006 crore) has been allocated for the next fiscal year for development of the Ruppoor NPP.
The Russian nuclear technology has a strong base. Moreover, Bangladesh and Russia have been developing economic cooperation for decades. Russia has rendered important support for developing the energy sector, especially oil, gas and power, in Bangladesh. The Ruppoor NPP has finally come out of several decades of stagnation as the Russian government has extended its cooperation to implement the project responding to the request of the present government. There are some sceptics for Russian nuclear technology.
NUCLEAR POWER TECHNOLOGY AND RUSSIA: But the reality is that Russia has emerged as the major exporter of nuclear power plant technology in the world. Russia helps not only the developing nations, but also the European countries to develop their nuclear power plants. China, India, Turkey and Slovakia have built and operated nuclear power plants with Russian assistance. Five NPPs are now being built with Russian technology and assistance.
Outside Russia's territory, there are 13 NPP units under contracts to be built in near future. Discussions and negotiations for NPP building are in progress for at least another 10 NPP units. The Russian state-owned Rosatom (the agency assisting Bangladesh in developing the Ruppoor NPP) signed contracts with the Finnish company Fennovoima to build a 1,200-MW nuclear power plant in northern Finland in 2013. The plant will cost Finland approximately 6.0 billion euros to supply electricity at nearly 50 euros per megawatt.
Several European countries are currently trying to develop nuclear power plants to reduce carbon emission and generate power at an affordable price. The UK, the Czech Republic, Poland, Bulgaria, Lithuania, Slovakia, Romania and Turkey are now trying to find ways to get new nuclear power plants built. The UK government has recently announced that it will build a new nuclear plant at Hinkley Point with the help of the EDF of France at a "strike price" of £92.50 (€110) per MWh. If the Ukraine crisis did not emerge, the Russian Rosatom could progress further with the already signed Memorandum of Understanding (in 2013) with the UK government for building a nuclear power plant.
Russia built the world's first nuclear power plant in Obninsk, about 100 km south-west of Moscow. It has built the world's most powerful icebreakers which run on nuclear power. In the 1960s-1970s the sector prospered in Russia and enjoyed an exponential growth until the Chernobyl accident in 1986. Russia currently produces 24.25 gigawatts (GW) of power (approximately 16 per cent) from its existing three NPPs. Ten more NPPs, including two floating units with a total of 9.2 GW additional power generation capacity, are under construction within its territory. The New York Times reports (May 28, 2014) that Russia plans to increase its power generation capacity from its NPPs to 25-30 per cent within 2030 and to 40-50 per cent within 2050.
Major reasons for Russia developing the NPPs are as follows: Russia has approximately 500 institutions with an approximately 20,000-strong highly-trained manpower in the NPP sector. Russian scientists and engineers are experienced in nuclear fuel creation, nuclear power generation, nuclear weapon maintenance and research and development at nuclear science institutions. Russia intends to maintain and use its trained human resources for the nuclear industry.
The prosperity of the nuclear industry also helps Russia ensure its security as the trained workforce, if it continues to develop, will not only provide support for civilian nuclear technology and industries but also will aid operation of nuclear weapons industries and Russia's military readiness.
Russia is one of the major economies of the world with a lot of industries and sources of carbon emissions. The Kyoto Protocol obliges Russia to cut its carbon emissions. By increasing the share of nuclear power in the country's energy balance (mainly dependent on fossil fuel), it can maintain its economic and industrial growth without violation of the quota of carbon emissions set by the Kyoto Protocol. At the same time, with the increased use of nuclear power Russia can reduce its oil and gas use in domestic economy and thus continue to increase export of them to international markets at a premium rates. For the domestic subsidised market, transmission and distribution of oil and gas to the consumers are less attractive from the economic point of view. Also the building of oil and gas supply networks for new power plants within the territory of the Russian industrial and growth centres are logistically challenging and expensive.
Climatic conditions restrict Russia's expansion of renewable power development sources, especially solar energy. Therefore, nuclear energy-based power generation can secure Russia's carbon emission-free growth.
Russia wants to increase and secure its positions in the growing and prospective international nuclear power market. And Russia has the capacity to export nuclear power generation technology. It is now Bangladesh's turn to get the proper technology and know from its tested friend how to build its first nuclear power plant.
The author is a mining engineer.
He writes on energy and
environment issues.
mushfiq41@yahoo.com
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