Staff Reporter: Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has said she plans to build another nuclear power plant after Rooppur to meet the long-term demand for electricity.
He said that the government is working to build Bangladesh as a ‘developed, prosperous country’ so that Bangladesh never has to fall behind and no vulture’s hand falls on this country again.
The Prime Minister said this while inaugurating the installation of the reactor pressure vessel or nuclear reactor at the first unit of Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant in Pabna through a video conference from Ganobhaban on Sunday.
Reactor pressure vessels are the main instruments of nuclear power plants. Inside, energy will be generated from uranium, which will be used to generate electricity. Reactivity is the lifeblood of a nuclear power plant.
Project officials say it will not take long for the project to be completed once the reactor is installed. 50 percent of the work of the first unit will be completed this year.
The government hopes to start an experimental power supply to the national grid from the first 1,200-megawatt unit in Rooppur in April 2023. If all goes well, the commercial power supply can be started in February 2024.
Expressing her desire to build another nuclear power plant after the completion of Rooppur, the Prime Minister said, “We are looking for a place in the southern region. It is very difficult to find hard soil in the southern region. Even then we are surveying different places that another power plant we will do.
“Now, if we can build another nuclear power plant, we will have no more problems with electricity. Even then, we continue to generate multifaceted electricity so that people can have access to electricity so that it can continue. ”
In November 2016, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the construction of the main concrete installation of the first unit for the nuclear reactor at Rooppur, which marked the beginning of the main phase of construction of the country’s first nuclear power plant.
This time, Bangladesh went one step further on the path of fulfilling its dream by installing a reactor pressure vessel there.
The Prime Minister said, “Our goal is to take Bangladesh forward. In other words, we are now a part of nuclear power in Bangladesh today… I would say we have been able to take a place there, and that is for peace. This is very important. We are using nuclear energy for peace. ”
He said the government is celebrating the birth centenary of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, as well as the golden jubilee of independence this year. At the same time, it is a matter of great pride for Bangladesh to be able to take forward the work of nuclear power plants.
“Today is a very important day for Bangladesh. Today is a very important day not only for Bangladesh but also for my personal life. Today has been a frustrating day for us. ”
The Prime Minister said that several levels of security measures have been taken for the Rooppur nuclear power plant.
“I had some questions there, after we did it, its safety and waste management. Because Bangladesh is densely populated, it is not possible to manage waste here. The agreement that we have also ensured that Russia will always manage its waste. We make sure of that. ”
Commenting that many people in Bangladesh criticize without knowing it, Sheikh Hasina said, “When we try to do something in Bangladesh, there is so much criticism, so much criticism. In many ways, many people say a lot of things without understanding, write a lot of things. There are many things in the talk show… this is the rule of Bangladesh. ”
The Prime Minister said Bangladesh is also building its own skilled manpower as a result of setting up nuclear power plants. They have to be trained. I am training them in Russia and India. ”
Highlighting the various initiatives taken by Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, including the signing of an agreement with the IAEA after the independence of the country and the formation of the Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission, the Prime Minister said, “The Father of the Nation also took many initiatives. This initiative came to a halt after the assassination of the Father of the Nation in 1975. … If the Father of the Nation had survived, we could have done this much earlier. ”
The Prime Minister said, “We have now got the status of a developing country. But it will not stop here. We will make Bangladesh developed in 2041. The centenary of our independence will be celebrated in 2061. In particular, the new generation will celebrate the centenary of our independence as a beautiful country, a developed country, a prosperous country, a country with modern technological knowledge. ”
Highlighting the 100-year Delta Plan to take the country forward, he said, “This country should never be left behind. And so that no vulture’s hand falls on Bangladesh. We want the progress and development of Bangladesh to move forward at an irresistible pace. ”
Bangladesh’s first nuclear power plant is being built with Russian assistance. Alexei Likhachev, director-general of the country’s State Atomic Energy Corporation (Rosatom), Alexander Loshkin, president of Atomstroy Exports, and Yafes Osman, minister of science and technology, attended the opening ceremony in Rooppur.
