Chennai, Jul 9 (IANS): Construction work for Bangladesh's second nuclear power plant will start soon with the Bangladesh Atomic Energy Regulatory Authority (BAERA) granting licence to the Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission, said ASE Group of Companies, a part of Rosatom State Atomic Energy Corp (Rosatom).
India will also participate in the Bangladesh nuclear power project in construction and installation work and supply of non-critical materials.
Rosatom is supplying two 1,200 MW VVER nuclear power plants to Bangladesh of which the construction of first plant started in 2017 and the commercial launch is expected to be in 2023.
According to Valery Limarenko, President of the ASE Group of Companies, necessary preparations are being taken up for the first pour of concrete into the slab of reactor compartment for the second unit.
The Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) construction is performed based on the Russia-Bangladesh Intergovernmental agreement on cooperation in the area of NPP construction in the territory of Bangladesh, signed on November 2, 2011.
According to Alexander Khazin, Senior Vice President for International Project of ASE Group of Companies, the trilateral agreement signed by India, Russia and Bangladesh in March establishes the basis for the interaction of the Russian contractor Atomstroyexport with Indian and Bangladeshi specialists in the implementation of the project.
"In particular, the parties plan to cooperate in personnel training, experience sharing and consulting support. Under the agreement, Indian companies will participate in construction and installation work, supply of non-critical materials and equipment for the project," he was quoted as saying in a statement.
He said Bangladesh also signed two intergovernmental and inter-agency agreements with India, according to which India's Global Centre for Nuclear Energy Partnership (GCNEP) will provide training and consulting services for the implementation of the Rooppur NPP project.
"India will join the project as a subcontractor. In the near future, Indian construction companies will take part in tenders for construction and installation works. At the same time, the Indian party can provide consulting support and share experience with the Bangladesh specialists within the Rooppur NPP project," he said.