The Cabinet Committee On Purchase and the Cabinet Committee On Economic Affairs on Sunday approved the science and technology ministry’s proposal to award the pre-construction work for the Rooppur nuclear power plant (NPP) project to Russian company Atomstroyexport. The meeting was held at the cabinet division, with finance minister AMA Muhith in the chair.After the meeting, cabinet division additional secretary Md Nurul Karim said that the Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission (BAEC) would sign an agreement with Atomstroyexport in Moscow to start the pre-construction work for the NPP project in Rooppur of Pabna.
As per the scope of the pre-construction work, Atomstroyexport will conduct feasibility evaluation (FE), environment impact assessment (EIA), development and engineering survey, development of the comprehensive programme of engineering survey, anthropogenic conditions at the NPP area and site, engineering and hydro-meteorological survey, engineering and geodetic survey, seismological and seismic-tectonic studies, engineering and aero-meteorological survey, FE development, EIA development, pre-design works, and geological, environmental and engineering studies.
The surveys and studies have to be completed within 18 months from the day of signing of the agreement, according to the proposal.
For conducting these works, the government will pay USD 45.90 million to Atomstroyexport.
According to sources, 10 per cent of the USD 45.90-million pre-construction budget would be paid in advance to the Russian company within 30 days of signing the agreement.
-With The Independent input
