Rooppur 1 receives construction licence

The Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission has formally received a design and construction licence for Rooppur unit 1. Construction of the country's first nuclear power plant is now expected officially to begin on 30 November.

The Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission (BAEC) has formally received a design and construction licence for Rooppur unit 1. Construction of the country's first nuclear power plant is now expected officially to begin on 30 November.

BAEC receives the licence from BAERA (Image: BAERA)

The BAEC on 4 November received the licence from the Bangladesh Atomic Energy Regulatory Authority (BAERA) at a ceremony in Dhaka.

Rooppur project director Shawkat Akbar said the licence provides legal authority to start the main construction, the Daily Star reported. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will formally inaugurate the main phase of construction on 30 November, he said.

Two 1200 Mwe Russian-designed reactors - based on a modified version of the NPP-2006 VVER - are planned for construction on the eastern bank of the river Ganges at Rooppur, 160 km from Dhaka. A foundation stone was laid at the site in October 2013 after Russia and Bangladesh signed an initial contract on the construction of the plant. The two countries signed a general contract for the project on 25 December 2015. The contract is worth $12.65 billion, including the first few years' fuel. Russia in 2016 agreed to provide an $11.38 billion credit facility for 90% of the project, with Bangladesh to meet the remainder of the project costs from state-funded grants.

BAERA issued the first site licence for the Rooppur plant in June 2016, allowing preliminary site works, including geological surveys, to begin.

Rooppur 1 is expected to enter service in 2023 or 2024, with unit 2 following in 2024 or 2025.

Researched and written
by World Nuclear News