Highest safety measures will be maintained
Bangladesh embarked on a nuclear power programme on Wednesday when Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the work for the first phase of the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) here. “After decades of speculation, plans and programmes, the commissioning of the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant is going to be a reality, heralding a new era for Bangladesh. This is indeed a joyful day for the countrymen,” the PM said.
Hasina said the government’s top priority was to ensure safety. “We will never compromise on safety standards. During bilateral consultation in January, I requested Russian President Vladimir Putin for consideration of an innovative friendly approach in constructing the Rooppur NPP with the safest reactor design, which could be capable of tolerating any severe man-made or natural events, namely seismic events, tsunami, flooding and other natural events and generate electricity in a safe, secured and economic manner in the reactor’s life time,” she added.
She also dispelled any doubts about the country’s motive for taking to the nuclear path. “Our nuclear energy programme is very transparent, as Bangladesh has signed all major international treaties, agreements and protocols related to nuclear non- proliferation,” she said.
The PM added that her government has also given utmost importance to the development of an appropriate nuclear infrastructure based on the IAEA’s safety guidelines and other relevant standards as well as international good practices.
“We have promulgated the Bangladesh Atomic Energy Regulatory Act, 2012, to strengthen the national nuclear regulatory infrastructure to ensure safe and secured applications of nuclear technology and building the countr’s first nuclear power plant at Rooppur,” she added.
Held under the auspices of the Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission and the ministry of science and technology, the function was addressed by former Russian Prime Minister and director general of Russia’s State Atomic Energy Commission (ROSATOM) Sergey Kirienko, planning minister Air Vice Marshal (retd) AK Khandakar, state minister for home Shamsul Haque Tuku and the head of the IAEA’s department of technical cooperation, Osqar Acquino.
The chairman of the parliamentary standing committee on the science and technology ministry, Alhaz Dabirul Islam, local MP Shamsur Rahman Sharif Dilu and director general of the Bangladesh Atomic Energy Centre, Mahmudul Hasan, also spoke on the occasion. State minister for science and technology Yeafesh Osman was in the chair.
Secretary in the ministry Rafiqul Islam delivered the welcome address, while chairman of the Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission Abu Sayeed M Firoz gave the vote of thanks.
The PM said an independent nuclear regulatory authority, the Bangladesh Atomic Energy Regulatory Authority, has been formed. Besides, she added, bilateral relations with the nuclear regulatory body of the Russian Federation, as well as the IAEA was established for capacity building of the national nuclear regulatory authority.
The PM said the Russian President had assured her of providing the latest and safest nuclear technology for the Rooppur NPP.
“We believe that the Russian Federation will follow international standards in every stage of the Rooppur NPP’s implementation and provide Bangladesh with a technology that will operate safely and effectively under any climatic condition,” she said.
Hasina said the government was very happy and satisfied with the assurance of the Russian government for cooperation in the establishment of an appropriate nuclear power infrastructure of Bangladesh.
“We are also happy and satisfied with the development of manpower for operation and maintenance of the Rooppur NPP, as well as management of radioactive waste and taking spent fuel back to the Russian Federation,” she said.
Hasina said her government recognised that electricity was a key ingredient for socio-economic development of the country. So, the government has undertaken a plan to make the nation self-reliant in power generation by 2020.
Over the last four-and-a-half years, a total of 34 power plants were constructed and 54 now remain under construction. Eleven coal-based power plants, with a capacity of 1,300 MW each, would be constructed jointly with India, China and Malaysia and 250 MW of power out of 500 MW purchased from India will be added to the national grid next Saturday, she added.
“Adequate and reliable supply of electricity is an important pre-requisite for attracting both domestic and foreign investment. That’s why, we have set up a goal of providing electricity to all citizens and economic sectors,” she said.
The Prime Minister said although there were many arenas for the peaceful use of nuclear energy, generation of electricity by using nuclear energy has been given top priority by the present government, considering the chronic power shortage in Bangladesh.
At present, the PM said the country was evolving an energy-mix diversification, where generation of 10 per cent of electricity from nuclear energy by 2021 through early implementation of the nuclear power project is assumed as one of the choices to meet the growing energy needs.
Hasina recalled with gratitude Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s initiative to implement the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant after the country’s independence. She also expressed her gratitude to the Russian Federation and its friendly people for their cooperation in implementing this project.
“As a trusted friend, Russia not only extended material and moral support to our Liberation War in 1971, but also took part in rebuilding war-ravaged Bangladesh after independence,” she said.
Dhaka inked a crucial framework agreement with Moscow for construction of the nuclear power plant on May 21, 2010. Under the agreement, ROSATOM will construct two units of the Rooppur NPP, each of 1,000 MW capacity, at a cost of USD 1.5-2 billion. The ground-breaking ceremony took place two years after Bangladesh signed a landmark deal with Russia on November 2, 2011, finalising arrangements to install the country’s first ever nuclear power plant.
-With The Independent input
