Government is set to conduct an international seminar on nuclear energy to comply with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)’s requirement to create public awareness on the issue at Dhaka on May 29. “Before going to install any nuclear power plant in the country it’s a pre condition to establish an information centre and conduct stake holders consultation meeting as per IAEA’s condition, however, we are set to do that,” ASM Firoz Chairman Bangladesh’s Atomic Energy Commission (BAEC) told The Independent. Technical persons from IAEA and Rosatom of Russian Federation along with the local experts will join the two day long seminar, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is expected to inaugurate the seminar at a local hotel, he added.
However, a technical team of Russia is visiting Dhaka to select the site of the information centre and to finalise some technicalities.
The visiting Russian construction team and officials of the Science and Technology ministry agreed to establish the centre at Navotheatre, a senior official of BAEC said.
Energy-starved Bangladesh is set to sign a feasibility study contract with Russia soon to implement country’s first nuclear power plant (NPP) to produce 2000 megawatt electricity at Rooppur, 125 km northwest of capital Dhaka.
The government is going to build two nuclear plants with capacity of 1000-megawatt each at Rooppur with latest ‘third generation’ technology from Russia where five-layer security measures would be installed, according to officials.
Earlier, Russia agreed to provide assistance in the setting up of two nuclear units with a capacity of 1000 megawatt each under the pact.
Bangladesh is expected to commission a nuclear power plant by 2017-18 if every thing goes right.
“We need to complete 62 tests to draw the design of the power plant next year before starting the physical work by 2015 to set up the power plant, however, the Russian team will visit Dhaka soon to discuss the issue related with the feasibility study” a senior official said.
According to the power sector master plan, the government is set to produce 10 per cent of total electricity from the nuclear power plant.
-With The Independent input
