Dhaka, Bangladesh, March 17. Director General of the State Atomic Energy Corporation Rosatom, Alexey Likhachev, held a meeting with The Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina, during his visit to the People's Republic of Bangladesh. Issues of bilateral cooperation in the use of atomic energy for peaceful purposes were discussed.
Mr. Likhachev also visited the construction site of the Rooppur NPP, the first nuclear power plant in Bangladesh. Members of the delegation examined facilities under construction and visited Green City, a special district especially built for Russian specialists.
"The construction has gained considerable pace. It is gratifying to see that our specialists have the opportunity to live fully, engage in leisure activities and receive medical care at a specially constructed district," noted Likhachev after visiting the NPP construction site.
During the visit, a package of documents was signed for the cooperation expansion in the field of nuclear energy. In particular, the parties signed a protocol to amend the intergovernmental agreement between the Government of the Russian Federation and the Government of the People's Republic of Bangladesh on the NPP construction on the territory of Bangladesh regarding the cooperation of the parties in providing assistance in the operation, maintenance and repairs of the Rooppur NPP. The protocol was signed by the Director General of the State Atomic Energy Corporation Rosatom Alexey Likhachev and the Minister of Science and Technology of the PRB Architect Yeafesh Osman.
The Protocol establishes the right of the Bangladeshi party to engage the Russian company on a long-term basis to help in the operation, maintenance and repair of Rooppur NPP 1 and 2 power units, as well as to supply the equipment, expendable materials, spare parts and to provide training for maintenance crews in the course of NPP operations. This will enable the Rosatom State Corporation to carry out maintenance, operational support and repair of the Rooppur NPP throughout its entire life cycle as part of assisting the Bangladeshi side in the operation of the Rooppur NPP.
In addition, a package of appendixes to the contract for the supply of nuclear fuel for Rooppur NPP was signed between TVEL JSC and the Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission, in the presence of the Director General of Rosatom State Corporation Alexey Likhachev and the Minister of Science and Technology of Bangladesh, Architect Yeafesh Osman. The contract is valid until the end of the operational lifetime of both power units of Rooppur NPP. The power station will be the first nuclear power plant abroad constructed under the project of Generation III + (NPP-2006) and switched to an eighteen-month fuel cycle.
During the visit, Mr. Likhachev also held meetings with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of Bangladesh, Mr. Abulkalam Abdul Momen, and the Minister of Science and Technology, Architect Yeafesh Osman.
For reference:
Rooppur NPP with two VVER-1200 reactors with a total capacity of 2,400 MW is being constructed under the Russian design 160 km away from Dhaka, the capital city of Bangladesh, in accordance with the general contract of December 25, 2015. The general contractor for Rooppur NPP construction is Atomstroyexport (Rosatom Engineering Division).
The first Bangladesh NPP is being constructed under a Russian design using VVER-1200 reactors, which was successfully implemented at power units No. 1 and No. 2 of Novovoronezh NPP-2. This is an evolutionary project of Generation III+ that fully meets international safety requirements. In 2017, the new Russian power unit was named among the three best nuclear units in the world according to the influential international publication POWER (USA). In 2015-2016, the preparatory work was carried out at the construction site, specification documents, as well as supporting materials for licences for the placement and construction of units were formulated. A solemn ceremony of "first concrete" pouring into the base of power unit No. 1 of Rooppur NPP took place on November 30, 2017. On July 8, 2018, the Bangladesh Atomic Energy Regulatory Authority (BAERA) issued a license to begin construction of Rooppur NPP No. 2 power unit. On July 14, 2018, the active phase of the construction of Rooppur NPP No. 2 power unit began - a solemn ceremony of "first concrete" pouring into the base of power unit took place. Each phase of Rooppur NPP construction in Bangladesh is under the strict control of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the national regulatory authority.