Bangladesh & Russia inks N-Plant Deal for two reactors at Rooppur

5 November 2011: Russia and Bangladesh signed a nuclear co-operation agreement on 3 November 2011 which envisages the former setting up two 1000 MW nuclear reactors at Rooppur, in the Ishwardi subdistrict of Pabna, northwest of Bangladesh.This pact is significant as Bangladesh now depends upon old gas-fired power plants which suffer a daily shortfall of nearly 2000 MW, seriously hampering industrial production.

Of the two reactors, one is slated to attain criticality between 2017 and 2018. The total cost of the project is between US$1.5 to 2 billion. The agreement stipulates that Russia will provide the fuel on a long term basis and take back the spent fuel.

These will be Bangladesh’s first nuclear reactors, marking the country’s formal entry into the nuclear sector. The other nuclear-powered nations in the region include India, China, Pakistan, Japan, and North and South Korea.

Source: Asian Scientist Magazine