Another shipment of uranium for the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant has reached the project site at Ishwardi in Pabna via the Bangabandhu Bridge from Dhaka, passing through Bonpara of Natore.
The vehicle carrying the uranium entered the project site amidst special security measures on the road at about 9:30 am on Friday (October 20). Power plant officials received the fuel consignment when it reached the project site.
Ruhul Quddus, site office in-charge of Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant, confirmed this information to Bangladesh Post.
This is the fourth shipment of fresh fuel for unit-1 of the power plant. The uranium brought to Rooppur arrived in Dhaka by special plane from Russia.
The fourth batch of the radioactive fuel was unloaded at the Dhaka airport on Thursday afternoon, and was later carried to the project site under special security arrangement of the Bangladesh Army, said Ruhul Quddus.
Earlier, the first shipment for the power plant reached the project site on September 28, while the second shipment on October 6 and the third shipment on October 13.
A total of seven fuel consignments of uranium will be delivered to Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant within the next few weeks, said senior officials of the power plant.
When the fourth consignment of uranium entered the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant from Dhaka, the Bangladeshi and Russian officials working on the project waved their hands in welcome as before.
Superintendent of Police (SP) of Pabna Akbar Ali Munshi said that upon the arrival of the uranium in the project area, both Bangladeshis and Russians, who were involved in the project, warmly greeted the convoy.
Dr. Shaukat Akbar, project director of Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant, said that nuclear fuel of the project is being brought by road with maximum security. More shipments will come to the country gradually.
He said that the power plant has been recognized as a nuclear installation since the first consignment arrived. The guidelines of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) for fuel import, transportation and maintenance of Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant are being duly followed, he added.
The first consignment was formally handed over in the presence of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Russian President Vladimir Putin through a video conference on October 5, marking Bangladesh’s entry to the world’s elite club of nuclear power producers.
On January 15 in 2013, an agreement regarding State Export Credit of US$ 500 million was signed for carrying out preparatory phase construction work of Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant.
The government signed a US$12.65 billion general contract (GC) in 2015 with Moscow for building the power plant.
Bangladesh signed a credit agreement with Russia to obtain $11.385 billion credit for the nuclear power plant in 2016. The credit covers 90 per cent of the project cost.
The Ministry of Science and Technology recently said that the first unit of the power plant may come into operation in July 2024 and the second unit in July 2025.
Once the two units become operational, the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant will be capable of generating 2,400 MW of power. The first unit has reached over 90 percent completion in terms of physical and structural work, while the second unit has progressed to about 70 percent completion.
According to the website of World Nuclear Association, the countries using nuclear energy include the USA, China, France, Russia, South Korea, Canada, Ukraine, Germany, Japan, Spain Sweden, Belgium, UK, India, Czech Republic, Finland, Switzerland, Bulgaria, Pakistan, Hungary, Slovakia, Brazil, South Africa, Mexico, Romania, Argentina, United Arab Emirates, Belarus, Slovenia, the Netherlands, Iran and Armenia.
The Awami League in its 2008 electoral manifesto pledged to build the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant at Ishwardi in Pabna. Once in power, the party started the first nuclear power project of Bangladesh.
The decision to establish the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant was approved in the Parliament on November 10 in 2010.
On October 2 in 2013, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina formally inaugurated the first phase of the construction of the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant.
A total of 260 acres of land were acquired and an additional 32 acres were taken for residential purposes for the nuclear power plant project.