Moscow [Russia], October 9 (ANI): Russia’s state nuclear energy corporation Rosatom has committed to connecting the first unit of Bangladesh’s Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant (RNPP) to the country’s national grid on an experimental basis in the shortest possible time.
The commitment was made during a high-level bilateral meeting held in Moscow on Friday between Bangladesh’s Science and Technology Minister Fakir Mahbub Anam and Alexey Likhachev, Director General of Rosatom.
According to a statement from Bangladesh’s Ministry of Science and Technology, the meeting focused on the overall progress of the country’s first nuclear power plant and the timeline for power generation from its first unit.
“The meeting featured detailed discussions regarding the overall progress of Bangladesh’s first nuclear power plant, the Rooppur Nuclear Power Project, and the timeline for power generation from its first unit. During the bilateral meeting, Rosatom Director General Alexey Likhachev stated that it will be possible to connect the first unit (VVER-1200 reactor) of the Rooppur Power Plant to the national grid on an experimental basis in the shortest possible time”, the ministry said in a statement.
Likhachev added that the project would play a vital role in strengthening Bangladesh’s power security and supplying environmentally friendly and cost-effective energy.
During the meeting, Minister Fakir Mahbub Anam noted that the power plant, with a total capacity of 2,400 MW, would meet approximately 11 per cent of Bangladesh’s total electricity demand.
Rosatom Director General Alexey Likhachev also stated that commissioning and initial startup operations of the plant’s second unit would commence next year.
The meeting also featured positive discussions on expanding Bangladesh’s nuclear energy sector in the future by building on the success and experience of the Rooppur project, alongside efforts to strengthen bilateral cooperation, the ministry’s statement said. (ANI)
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