Al Amin :
The ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine has created a big concern over Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant (RNPP) to be built with Russia’s financial and technical support in Bangladesh.
Not only construction works, but also the Russian involvement with the security management of the country’s first-ever nuclear power plant will continue after the completion of the infrastructural works.
Even, the power plant’s uranium fuel will also come from Russia and the country will also be involved with the nuclear waste management of the project and it is going to be a major area for foreign exchange transactions with Russia in the post-construction period.
Under this circumstance, the experts fear that the war has created a big uncertainty about the future of the power plant.
Energy expert M Tamim told The New Nation on Sunday, “The ongoing war will not impact on the power plant immediately but the construction works of it may delay, if Russian economy becomes weak for prolonging the war.”
The government, however, said that the war will not impact on the progress of the project and it is keeping a close watch on the situation considering the ongoing war.
The government aims to complete the construction of the first unit of the power plant next year and the second unit in 2024. About 5,000 foreign workers of the project are now stationed at Rooppur in Ishwardi and most of them are Russian nationals.
Western nations, including the United States and the European Union, continue to impose sanctions on Russia from the beginning of the war.
Despite the imposition of the sanctions will not impact immediately on the project, there may be some embarrassment in the long run, if the Russian financial situation could worsen for prolonging the war.
It may force to stop the project and the financial transactions can be hampered due to restrictions. The salaries and allowances of the Bangladeshi workers and the payment for local raw materials suppliers would also be delayed.
Besides, the Russian workers will have to be involved in many issues related to energy, nuclear waste and security management after the construction of the project. These could be hampered due to the post-war geopolitical realities.
Officials said the commissioning of the nuclear plant will start after the completion of the construction work and there are three steps– Safety, Security and Safeguards-for proper commissioning.
The main commissioning will be when the reaction will start after loading the fuel. Many infrastructures are also involved with the main fuel loading. Nuclear governance is an important infrastructure for the project, they said.
These are not just related to the country’s law. It also involves with the international law, treaties and the commitments of the states concerned. So, time will say, what will happen in coming days, they added.
Ziaul Hasan, Senior Secretary of the Ministry of Science and Technology, said, “The Rooppur project is being implemented with the financial and technical support of Russia. Following the war situation, the project director has already been directed to keep in touch with the concerned.”
