MoU with Russia on N-power plant signed Bangladesh and Russia signed a memorandum of understanding on Wednesday on installation of a nuclear power plant. The chairman of Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission and deputy director general, Russian State Atomic Energy Commission, signed the deal aimed at peaceful utilisation of nuclear energy, the first step towards the installation. State minister for science Yafes Osman and prime minister's energy affairs adviser Toufique-e-Elahi Chowdhury were present there. A high-powered delegation of Russia, a global leader in nuclear technology, arrived in Dhaka on Tuesday to sign the deal. Prime minister Sheikh Hasina provisionally approved the draft MoU, officials said last week. Science secretary Nazmul Huda Khan told bdnews24.com on Monday that they had made a lot of ground in the negotiations. The draft MoU was finalised in a three-day meeting last month in Dhaka where they had agreed on installation of the plant. Ministry officials said the capacity of the power plant would be finalised in the final deal but the government decided to set up two plants, each with 1000 megawatt capacity. Russia did not specify the financial terms which would be settled after the final agreement, said the officials with direct knowledge of the negotiations. Sources said Russia was interested to provide loan, probably on easy terms, rather than grant. The Economic Relation Division will settle the financial terms and conditions once the MoU is signed. Russia supplied 10 nuclear power plants last year and has supplied as many as 65 plants to Iran, India, China, Armenia, Ukraine, Hungary, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Finland, Bulgaria and Germany. Currently it is constructing 11 power plants in countries. The first initiative to install nuclear power plant in Bangladesh in Rooppur, Pabna was taken in 1961. Currently 439 power plants are producing 16 percent of total electricity around the world. China and South Korea also approached Bangladesh to set up new clear power plant. http://bdnews24.com/details.php?id=84118&cid=2 |
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