Rooppure Nuclear Power Plant: Tk2,423crore deal signed for physical protection system

Russian company JSC ELERON will build the Physical Protection System (PPS) of the Rooppure Nuclear Power Plant, the country's first ever nuclear power plant being under-construction in Pabna.

An Engineering Procurement and Construction (EPC) contract among the Nuclear Security and Physical Protection System Cell (NSPC), Bangladesh Army was inked on Friday through a Video Tele Conference to ensure physical protection of the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant.

The construction is valued Tk2,423crore and the amount is excluded from the main expenditure of the project, says a press release issued by the Ministry of Science and Technology.

Md Anwar HossainSenior Secretary, Ministry of Science and Technology and Brigadier General Akhtar Shahid, chief coordinator of NSPC were present in the contract signing programme.

Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant is the country's largest project with a total estimated cost Tk1,13,093crore which is scheduled to be completed in 2025.

Russia is financing 90 percent of the cost while the government is sourcing only 10 percent of the cost in the the first ever nuclear plant in Bangladesh.

Earlier, the Executive Committee of National Economic Council (Ecnec) approved Tk 3,449 crore proposal for the physical security for the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant in November 5, 2019.

The nuclear power plant at Ishwardi in Pabna will have two power units, each having 1,200 megawatts of capacity, and the first unit of the plant is scheduled to come into operation by October 2024.

The power units will be equipped with both active and passive safety systems, including Molten Core Catcher. Latest 3+ generation Russian VVER 1200 reactors will be used in the first ever nuclear power plant of Bangladesh.

Atomenergomash is the single-source manufacturer for the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant reactor hall and a supplier for most of the turbine island equipment.