Photo: Collected
Rooppur nuclear power plant, a dream project of the current government, is likely to be impacted by the US ban on Russian uranium trade. Additionally, Rosatom, the company implementing the project, is also under embargo.
The ban will take effect within 90 days of being signed on May 13, 2024. Experts have expressed concern, suggesting that Bangladesh should source uranium from other countries as well.
As Bangladesh's Rooppur nuclear power plant nears trial production, newly added concerns about fuel availability have arisen. A delay in the project's commissioning may increase costs.
Md. Ali Hossain, the secretary of the Ministry of Science and Technology, told The Daily Messenger, “In fact, we don't know the issue officially. So, we are not worried about it.”
Regarding the plant's trial run, he said, “There are multi-layered technical issues. So, I cannot provide you with a date for the plant's trial.”
By introducing a nuclear power plant, Bangladesh is entering the elite global club. After signing the project with Russia, the world has started discussing Bangladesh. The project showcases the country's strong capabilities.
Former chairman of the Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission, Professor Dr. Safiqul Islam Bhuiyan, said, "As the project nears commissioning, we have been prepared with fuel from other sources."
Khurshed Alam, Secretary (Maritime Affairs Unit) of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, told The Daily Messenger, “We have not received any such official letter yet. If the letter is received, action will be taken accordingly. However, the Rooppur nuclear power project is a priority for Bangladesh. So, we will look after our interests first."
In December 2022, the Russian ship Ursa Major, carrying supplies for Rooppur, was denied entry into Bangladeshi waters due to US sanctions. This incident highlighted the far-reaching impact of American economic measures.
The 2,400 MW nuclear power project is being implemented by the Atomic Energy Commission under the Ministry of Science and Technology, with technical and financial support from Russia. The general designer and contractor of the project is the engineering arm of Russia's Rosatom Corporation, which is also under the uranium ban.
Russia is the world's largest uranium supplier, controlling 24 percent of the world's enriched uranium trade.
However, complications had started with the refusal to allow the US-embargoed ship Ursa Major, carrying machinery and tools for the Rooppur nuclear power plant, to enter Bangladeshi waters. Meanwhile, the ban on Rosatom may create uncertainty about the project's timely implementation.
Moreover, earlier Bangladesh could not unload the machinery that Russia had sent via a ship under US sanction, resulting in the halting of the project's work in progress.
Messenger/Disha
