Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has announced the establishment of another nuclear power plant in the southern part of the country. For this, a place of hard soil is being sought on the other side of the Padma, she said.
This information was given in the speech delivered by the PM at the inauguration ceremony of the installation of nuclear reactor at the power plant at Rooppur in Ishwardi upazila of Pabna district on Sunday.
“We will use nuclear energy for peace,” she said. “Electricity will be generated with nuclear energy. That will go to the people of the village. They will have socio-economic development.”
The Prime Minister also assured that all kinds of security measures have been taken for this.
The Prime Minister said, “After the power plant at Rooppur, we are looking for a place in the south. It is very difficult to find hard soil in the south. Even then I am surveying the area including different islands. I will build another power plant, where it will get a good place. I want to do it at the other side of the Padma. I hope there will be no problem in this regard. If we can build another nuclear power plant there,” she said. Then there will be no problem for electricity. Even then, we are building multi-purpose power plants so that people can have access to electricity and continue to do so.
Sheikh Hasina said the country’s scientists and engineers have been trained to set up a nuclear power plant. Through the construction works of Rooppur Nuclear Power plant, our manpower serving in Atomic Energy Commission are also getting experienced. We are training them in Russia. I am also sending them in India. Because another similar power plant is being built there. And the people of our country are getting different experiences while working here.
Highlighting Russia’s cooperation in building a nuclear power plant, the head of government said: “When I went to Russia, I had a talk to President Putin. He said that he would help us to set up a nuclear power plant. I also talked to the former Prime Minister. She said, ‘I also had some questions about its safety and waste management. Because Bangladesh is densely populated. Waste management is not possible here. This is also confirmed in the agreement that Russia will always manage the wastes.
Minister for Science and Technology Architect Yafes Osman presided over the ceremony from the grounds of installation of Reactor Pressure Vessel. Alexei Lakhchok, CEO of Russia’s State Atomic Energy Corporation Rosatom, and Alexander Loxin, president of Atomstroy Export Group of Companies, were guests at the event.
Science and Technology Ministry Secretary Zeaul Hasan and Rooppur Project Director Shaukat Akbar were also present on the occasion.
Russia has lent about 90 percent of the project costing more than Tk 1.13 trillion. The power plant is being built by the Russian contractor Atomstroy Export through several international agreements.
1,200 MW from the first unit in 2023 and the same amount from the second unit in 2025 is expected to be added in the power greed of Bangladesh.