Nuclear power plant
Nuclear power plantDeal with Russia to be signed today
PM okays draft MoUBangladesh and Russia might sign a Memorandum of Understanding on Wednesday on installation of a nuclear power plant, officials said on Monday, reports bdnews24. Prime minister Shiekh Hasina provisionally approved the draft MoU, officials said last week. A high-powered Russian delegation is expected to arrive in Dhaka on Tuesday to sign the deal. Science secretary Najmul Huda Khan told bdnews24.com on Monday that they made a lot of ground in the negotiations. "We are also in favour of searching all avenues for competitive advantage for Bangladesh. Because it is a mega project," he said. Bangladesh and Russia finalised the draft MOU following a three-day meeting last month in Dhaka where they had agreed on installation of the plant. Ministry officials said the capacity of the power plant would be finalised in the final deal but the government decided to set up two plants, each with 1000 megawatt capacity. Russia did not specify the financial terms which would be settled after the final agreement, said the officials with direct knowledge of the negotiations. Sources said Russia was interested to provide loan, probably on easy terms, rather than grant. The Economic Relation Division will settle the financial terms and conditions after the MoU is signed. Russia supplied 10 nuclear power plants last year and has supplied as many as 65 plants to Iran, India, China, Armenia, Ukraine, Hungary, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Finland, Bulgaria and Germany. Currently it is constructing 11 power plants in countries. The first initiative to install nuclear power plant in Bangladesh in Rooppur, Pabna was taken in 1961. Currently 439 power plants are producing 16 percent of total electricity around the world. China and South Korea also approached Bangladesh to set up new clear power plant.
