Online Desk: Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Tuesday requested Russia’s state-run atomic agency Rosatom to consider building a second nuclear power plant in Rooppur.

She made the request when Rosatom DG Alexey Likhachev called on her at her official residence Ganabhaban.

PM’s speech writer M Nazrul Islam briefed reporters after the call on.

Hasina told Rosatam that her government seeks to build another nuclear power plant at Rooppur on completion of the ongoing project.

She pointed out that technical survey needs to be conducted at the initial stage for setting up two new units.

The prime minister directed completion of all formalities of taking back Spent Nuclear Fuel of first and second units of Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant to Russia.

The DG of Rosatom gave assurance on behalf of the Russian government on taking back the Spent Nuclear Fuel produced by the first and second units to the Russian Federation and promised to complete all the necessary formalities on time as per the instructions of the prime minister.

Dhaka and Moscow have already signed an inter-state agreement regarding the return of the Spent Nuclear Fuel of Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant to Russia.

PM Hasina thanked Russia for helping Bangladesh in energy security, especially the construction of the Rooppur nuclear power plant.

She said that it was the dream of Bangabandhu to set up a nuclear power plant in Bangladesh, and it is being implemented.

She recalled the assistance of Russia during the Liberation War of Bangladesh in 1971 and subsequent help in rebuilding the war-ravaged country.

The prime minister also conveyed her greetings to Russian President Vladimir Putin for his reelection.

The Rosatom DG apprised the prime minister of the progress in building the Ruppur Nuclear Power Plant.

He said the RNPP will go to production by 2025 and start to supplement electricity supply to the national grid.

He also said that 85 percent works of the RNPP has been completed.

He proposed to the government to build two new nuclear power units (Unit-3 and Unit-4) in Rooppur nuclear power project area.

The DG noted that the construction of the new Unit-3 and Unit-4 should be started as soon as the construction of the first two units is completed.

In this context, he also said that the expansion of existing nuclear power projects is more profitable and reasonable from the financial point of view and in the light of technical and nuclear safety which is considered internationally.

He said that some 2500 staffs including Bangladeshi and Russians have been working in the project who gained their expertise.

PM Hasina asked the Rosatom DG to utilise Bangladeshi expertise in other nuclear power plant construction projects.

The Rosatom DG said that due to the pandemic and sanctions there were obstacles, but the work continued with its usual pace.

The Prime Minister said that the obstacles were avoided technically.

Science and Technology Minister Architect Yeafesh Osman was present among others.

At present, the construction work of two units (1200 x 2 = 2400 MW) each having a capacity of 1200 MW in Rooppur project area is in final stage.

The physical start-up of the first unit will begin in December this year. Commercial power generation will start in 2025 and 2026 from Unit-1 and Unit-2.