The government has approved the science and technology ministry’s proposal for appointing Russian consultancy firm Atomstroyexport to supervise and monitor the construction of the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant at a cost of $45.90m.
Atomstroyexport would start working by September, Finance Minister AMA Muhith told the Dhaka Tribune after the cabinet committee on public purchase had consented to its appointment on Sunday.
Bangladesh signed a deal with Russia on January 14 on extension of state export credit to finance the preparatory stage of the plant at Rooppur of Ishwardi upazila in Pabna.
On April 2, the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council approved the construction of the Rooppur plant involving a cost of Tk52.42bn, of which Tk40bn would be provided by Russia as state credit while the rest would come from local resources.
The Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission will implement the project by June 2017. As per the contract, the Russian Federation will supply fuel to the plant and take away the spent nuclear fuel.
Under the project plan, two units of the Rooppur plant will produce 2,000MW of electricity annually. The tenure of the plant is 60 years, which will be extended by another 20 years.