Rosatom starts work on unit 2 of Bangladesh n-project

Dhaka  :  The first "concrete ceremony" marking the beginning of main construction of the second unit of Rooppur Nuclear Power Project (RNPP) in Bangladesh took place on Saturday at Rooppur, Russian state-run atomic energy corporation Rosatom said in a statement.

Rosatom, who are the equipment suppliers and consultants for the India's Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project in Tamil Nadu, are building the first nuclear power plant in Bangladesh.

Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Russian Deputy Prime Minister in charge of Defense Industrial Complex Affairs Yury Borisov were also present on the occasion. 

"First portion of concrete was symbolically poured into the foundation base of the reactor building of the unit," a Rosatom statement said.

"Eight months ago the first concrete ceremony of Rooppur NPP unit 1 was held. Today (Saturday) we are meeting again to start the main stage of construction of Rooppur NPP unit 2. A All the works at the Rooppur construction site are going according to schedule," Rosatom's First Deputy Director General Alexander Lokshin said in a statement.

"Eight Russian design units are at the different stages of construction in South Asia including at Rooppur," he added.

Russia is supplying two VVER 1200 type reactors for a total capacity of 2,400 MW at Rooppur in Pabna district, at a distance of 160 km from here.

Earlier this year, Russia, India and Bangladesh signed a trilateral agreement to cooperate in the construction of the RNPP.

Under this agreement, Indian companies can be involved in construction and installation works, as well as the supply of material and equipment of a non-critical category for the project.

At the Kudankulam NPP, which envisages the construction of six reactors of the earlier generation VVER type of 1,000 MW capacity each the first two units have already been commissioned. Units 3 and 4 are under construction and preparatory works for units 5 and 6 are underway, Rosatom said.