[🇧🇩] Civilian/Military Nuclear Program in Bangladesh

[Saif]

Rooppur power plant construction may be delayed: Russian ambassador

Russian ambassador to Bangladesh Alexander Manatytskiy has said that under the present circumstances, there may be some delay in the construction process of the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant. He said this while speaking to journalists after paying a courtesy call on the foreign affairs advisor Md...

en.prothomalo.com

Rooppur power plant construction may be delayed: Russian ambassador
Diplomatic Correspondent Dhaka
Published: 15 Aug 2024, 18: 35

Russian ambassador to Bangladesh Alexander Manatytskiy pays a courtesy call on foreign affairs advisor Md Touhid Hossain PID

Russian ambassador to Bangladesh Alexander Manatytskiy has said that under the present circumstances, there may be some delay in the construction process of the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant.

He said this while speaking to journalists after paying a courtesy call on the foreign affairs advisor Md Touhid Hossain today, Thursday."

The Russian ambassador said, "I can understand that there may be somewhat of a delay in the construction process of the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plan, given the present circumstances. However, the delay will not be too long."

The Russian foreign minister in December last year had remarked that the US may create an "Arab Spring-like" situation in Bangladesh. Is the recent student uprising that "Bangla Spring"?

In reply to this question that was posed to him, Russian ambassador Alexander Manatytskiy replied, "I have no such information. If you have such information, you may share it with us.​

 

[Saif]

উৎপাদনে যেতে প্রস্তুত রুপপুর বিদ্যুৎ কেন্দ্র |

 

[Saif]

Dhaka faces a bit of trouble over Russian loan repayments

As Russian banks faced sanctions over the Russia-Ukraine war, they now want to take the interest money through the Chinese bank.

en.prothomalo.com

Dhaka faces a bit of trouble over Russian loan repayments
Jahangir Shah
Dhaka
Published: 23 Sep 2024, 12: 45

Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant File photo

Trouble is brewing over the repayment of Russia’s loans for the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant as Dhaka proposed an extension on repayment of capital, but Moscow is very reluctant on this matter. Rather they want payment of loan interest to be made through Chinese banks, which Dhaka is yet to give a green signal. As a result, the government faces a dilemma.

In the meantime, the interim government moved to review the loan agreements of various big projects including the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant project. Thus fear looms large over possible strains in the bilateral relations between Dhaka and Moscow centering the Russian loan, according to sources concerned of the finance ministry’s Economic Relations Division.

Bangladesh started building the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant at a cost of about Tk 1.14 trillion in 2016 and the project is set to be finished on 31 December 2025. Now the deadline seems to be delayed by two more years. Moscow is lending USD 12.65 billion for this project.

Selim Raihan, executive director of the South Asian Network on Economic Modeling (SANEM), said, “The matter of loan repayment should be discussed with Russia since there has already been a big investment. So, it is necessary to negotiate logically instead of getting emotional. If Russia can be convinced of our situation the matter will be solved soon.”

Pressures persist on the economy due to the coronavirus pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war. That is why the operation of the Russian contractor firm for the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant slowed down. The interim government proposed that Russia defers the repayment of capital for two years, and Russia also agreed primarily. So, the ERD prepared a draft loan agreement with some changes and gave opinions to the offices concerned including project implementing agencies, science and technology ministry, but there has been no progress since then.

On the other hand, Russia made another proposal to Bangladesh in August, asking that the money held in the special account of Bangladesh Bank be sent to Russia through a Chinese bank. Dhaka is yet to respond to the proposal.

To date, an overdue of USD 630 million has been deposited in a special account of Bangladesh Bank. As Russian banks faced sanctions over the Russia-Ukraine war, they wanted to take the interest money through the Chinese bank.

According to ERD sources, the 10-year grace period of Russian loan repayment ends on 15 March 2027, and repayment of capital starts subsequently. Dhaka requested Moscow to fix the deadline for the grace period at 15 March 2019, but no meeting was fixed over the past month.

Russian ambassador to Bangladesh Aleksandr Mantytsky held a meeting with the finance and commerce adviser to the interim government Salehuddin Ahmed on 25 August. ERD sources said issues related to start repayment of instalments of the Russian loans and payment through which currency were discussed at the meeting. Russia wants to take the interest money soon.

USD 390 million per instalment

Bangladesh borrowed USD 12.65 billion from the Russia EXIM Bank for the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant project. A bilateral agreement was signed on this matter in 2016, which was followed by the release of the funds in 2017. Payment of interest has already begun, and Dhaka is supposed to pay USD 110 million in two instalments annually. Since Russia faces international sanctions, Bangladesh cannot send money through the country’s EXIM bank. So, Dhaka is depositing the funds in a special account of Bangladesh Bank.

The 10-year grace period of the loan is set to end on 15 March and Bangladesh will have to start paying USD 380 million in two instalments per year plus the interest of USD 110. However, the amount of capital and interest payment may vary slightly from time to time.

A senior official of the Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission told Prothom Alo that work on the project has been hampered due to Covid-19 and the Russia-Ukraine war. That is why both countries have agreed to defer the repayment of capital, and for this, both countries will have to sign a protocol.

As of July, 69 per cent of the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant project was completed.

However, there has been apparently a shift in priority over foreign loans since the interim government took office. They prefer borrowing from multinational lending agencies including World Bank, Asian Development Bank (ADB), and Islamic Development Bank (IsDB), while the previous Awami League government was more interested in taking loans from bilateral sources like China, Russia and India.

This report appeared in the print and online editions of Prothom Alo and has been rewritten in English by Hasanul Banna.​

 

[Saif]

Repayment of Russian loan hits snags

The fallout from economic downturn, coupled with runaway corruption was bound to affect the balance of payments of the country. Today, policymakers are indeed in a fix about how to manage the repayment of principal-plus-interest on loans taken from international sources for various projects. None i

thefinancialexpress.com.bd

Repayment of Russian loan hits snags
Syed Mansur Hashim
Published :
Sep 27, 2024 22:00
Updated :
Sep 27, 2024 22:00
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The fallout from economic downturn, coupled with runaway corruption was bound to affect the balance of payments of the country. Today, policymakers are indeed in a fix about how to manage the repayment of principal-plus-interest on loans taken from international sources for various projects. None is more glaring than the one for the country's first nuclear power project viz. Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant (RNPP). The recent turmoil that transformed the political-cum-economic outlook, has put Dhaka on a collision course with Moscow, especially over what to do about the $11 billion plus Russian loan that has made RNPP possible. This remains a G2G (government-to-government) deal and also the largest foreign financed infrastructure project of the country under any administration. There is no contention about the fact that repayment will have to be made.

It is interesting to note that very recently, a study has been published by an expatriate Bangladeshi expert where a comparative analysis has been made about the cost of RNPP and similar projects in India and Belarus. While the nuclear reactors are of the same generation and design, it is not as simple as to make a statement on graft alleged to have taken place. It has to be proven by taking into account all the variables that distinguish RNPP from the Indian and Belarus projects. That said, it is in Bangladesh's interest to complete this project and get it operational at the earliest. The country is in the midst of a major energy crunch. It is also a fact that the LNG (liquefied natural gas) experiment, the cross-border trade in electricity, the power produced and sold by independent power producers all have big questions hanging over them in relation to graft. Hence, it would be a pity to mothball RNPP on the suspicion that there was a multi-billion dollar payoff by one party to another.

Russia has been pressing Bangladesh to make repayment of $650 million on the loan extended to Dhaka. Given today's economic situation, Dhaka has asked for an extension on repayment of capital, a request that has not been welcomed by Moscow. Why not? Why this direct rebuttal? It is not as though Bangladesh is bankrupt and is refusing to repay. It certainly is interesting that Russia is demanding that the payment on loan interest be made through Chinese banks (in Yuan), but the fact is that this is easier said than done. Russia is at liberty to ignore the Western-backed sanctions scheme against it, but can Bangladesh say the same?

The change of the political guard in Dhaka has also shifted its focus on the definition of domestic development. The preceding five-year plan has been put on hold and the economy is no longer infrastructure development-driven. Rather, the focus is on soft loans and grants for human resources development and other interest areas. Regarding the Russian loan (including interest) payment, Bangladesh wants a renegotiation on the terms of payment and this is not unheard of globally. Restructuring of international loans happens all the time.

Insistence on the "terms of payment" ignores the problems associated with the banning of Russia from the SWIFT banking system. Yes, there are alternative means of payment that includes the Chinese-led initiative CIPS, but that has its own problems. Bangladesh isn't a full member of the BRICS and so these problems are not going away anytime soon. There is hardly any point in getting emotional on such cold-hearted matters.

Moscow has to understand the economic reality Bangladesh faces on multiple fronts. The RNPP remains the single most important power infrastructure of the country. Bangladesh requires reliable power that is affordable. Regardless of how Moscow sees the situation, there has to be a renegotiation on the terms of payment and possibly this will involve deferred payment unless an acceptable, alternative legal means to transfer the repayments can be found under international law. There is no other alternative for Bangladesh. It cannot evoke the ire of the West to please the East. On its part, Russia should think about preserving the cordial relations it has with Bangladesh.

Everything must be brought to the negotiating table. All contentious issues have to be hammered out through discussion - not acrimony. It does not help either nation to be at loggerheads over RNPP. The RNPP is a long-term proposition to provide reliable and "cheap" power. These must be worked out by both parties and come to an agreement over the loan (and interest) repayments and also the price of power generated because of the simple fact that massive financial outlays have been made and years spent to build this project. This is simply too big to fail. Russia should get off its high horse and come to the discussion table because Bangladesh believes in "friendship to all, malice to none".​

 

[Saif]

Rooppur power plant to receive equipment for radiation monitoring soon

23 units of the monitoring systems have already been shipped from Russia

www.thedailystar.net

Rooppur power plant to receive equipment for radiation monitoring soon
23 units of the monitoring systems have already been shipped from Russia

Twenty three units of automated radiation monitoring systems (ARMS) shipped from Russia for Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant are expected to be delivered to the project site shortly, Rosatom, the general designer and contractor of the power plant, said in a statement.

The state atomic energy corporation of Russia said the shipped cargo includes 23 units of ARMS for the plant -- 15 for unit-1 and eight for unit 2.

ARMS is designed to collect, process, record, and display data on the radiation state parameters of the controlled objects.

Nuclear power plants, nuclear fuel cycle enterprises, RAW storage and processing facilities, and scientific and research centers are equipped with these systems, according to the statement.

These were developed specifically for Rooppur plant to meet the specific project requirements, it said, adding that the Specialized Scientific Research Institute for Instrumentation Engineering (SNIIP), a sister concern of Rosatom, has manufactured the equipment.

Moreover, approximately 300 units of individual dosimetry equipment and a batch of filter holders will be shipped by the end of this year, it added.

"We are very happy to have the systems, which are to play a key role in the preparation for the startup," said Alexander Kartsev, CEO of SNIIP.

"The ARMS is going to be delivered as a single package to the Rooppur NPP site. It will be used for the first time for the Rooppur project. The dosimeters and other individual dosimetry mean for the NPP personnel will be shipped to Bangladesh by the end of this year, but the main hardware will be already at hand at the project site by that time," he said.

Earlier, SNIIP shipped the equipment for continuous radiation monitoring of rooms, detection units, and devices for process radiation monitoring to Rooppur NPP.

In addition, the software and hardware complex of a unique individual dosimetric monitoring system is already delivered to the site.

The system collects data from dosimeters used by the NPP personnel during inspections and other activities.​

 

[Saif]

Dhaka-Moscow meet misses consensus on back pay

Dhaka and Moscow failed to settle score on sanctions-impeded loan repayment and extension of the aid-disbursement tenure for the undisbursed credits from a US$11.38-billion commitment in a two-day meeting in Dhaka, officials said Wednesday. A Russian delegation sat with Economic Relations Di

thefinancialexpress.com.bd

Sanctions-impeded debt service on RNPP
Dhaka-Moscow meet misses consensus on back pay
Funds for accrued interest payments accumulating in BB escrow account
FHM Humayan Kabir
Published :
Oct 03, 2024 00:54
Updated :
Oct 03, 2024 00:54

Dhaka and Moscow failed to settle score on sanctions-impeded loan repayment and extension of the aid-disbursement tenure for the undisbursed credits from a US$11.38-billion commitment in a two-day meeting in Dhaka, officials said Wednesday.

A Russian delegation sat with Economic Relations Division (ERD) for a two-day discussion, Tuesday-Wednesday, in Dhaka for resolving overdue issues, including the debt servicing against the loan for Rooppur nuclear power-plant project as it has halted for more than last two years, they said.

At the meeting, presided over by ERD Secretary Shahriar Kader Siddiki, a host delegation discussed with a visiting 15-member Russian team over the two days. The Russian team was headed by Mamonov, Director, the Ministry of Finance in Russia.

Following an around two-year lapse, Bangladesh had failed to serve some US$630 million worth of debt against its outstanding loans from Moscow till the first half of this calendar year.

Bangladesh has failed to repay the Russian loan for more than two years as the USA imposed sanctions on Moscow in the international payment systems (SWIFT) after the invasion of Ukraine.

Russia confirmed an $11.38- billion loan in July 2017 for the Rooppur nuclear power project or RNPP. Dhaka started repaying the interest on the disbursed amount of the loans annually.

Meanwhile, Moscow released a total of $7.77 billion worth of the credit, including $1.295 billion till last FY2024, to Bangladesh for implementing the power project, ERD data showed.

"The issues are yet to be settled in the last two days' meetings. We will be continuing our discussions. We may sit shortly again," said a highly placed source in the government.

Earlier, Moscow put pressure for repaying the halted debt as the Russian contractor has been working to set up the 2400MW- capacity nuclear power plant in Bangladesh's Rooppur in Pabna.

Sources said VEB.RF Bank, a representative agency of the Russian government, in August sent in a letter to Bangladesh government requesting $630- million halted debt servicing on the outstanding amount by September this year.

The letter says that the repayment should be made in USD or Chinese yuan at the Bank of China's Shanghai branch. But, this bank is also on the US sanctions list, making it impossible for Bangladesh to make the payment even if it wanted to, sources said.

Meanwhile, Bangladesh government is keeping aside the funds to be required for the debt servicing in an escrow account in the central bank.

On the other hand, Bangladesh has sought extension of the loan-disbursement period for two more years up to December 2026 as the power plant- building works have been delayed.

"We have told Moscow that we are ready to repay the loan as we had kept aside the fund in a separate escrow account. Only the US sanctions on the payment gateway has created obstacles," said another senior government official.

He said, "Since the entire aid- disbursement period is going to be over in December this year, we need extension for two more years for completing the project works as well as the necessary funds."

So far, nearly 70 per cent of the Rooppur power-plant project is completed, officials said.

Russia has so far disbursed some $7.77 billion worth of loan out of its $11.38 billion commitment. The remaining $3.61 billion will be released based on the project progress and Bangladesh's demand.

Earlier, Bangladesh government borrowed two loans for installing the power plant. One was a technical assistance worth $491 million under an agreement in November 2013 and another one is the gigantic $11.38 billion in July 2016.

According to the deals, the repayment against the first $491-million loan was supposed to be completed in FY2023 as its maturity was 10 years and rate of interest was LIBOR plus 1.0 to 3.0 per cent.

For the $11.38- billion loan, Bangladesh will repay it at LIBOR plus 1.75-percent annual rate and the total interest will not cross 4.0 per cent.

The loan will have to be repaid in 30 years with a 10-year grace period. As the grace period has yet to start, the payment of the principal of the loan has not started yet.

Out of the $591 million stuck-up amount for repayment to Russia, $495 million is on account of interest while the reaming $96 million is the principal amount of the untilised loans to Bangladesh, ERD officials said.

The principal amount of $96 million is kept aside for the $491 -million loans under the first TA project while the $495 million is earmarked for serving as interest of for both the TA and investment loans for the Rooppur power-plant project.​

 

[Saif]

$800m repayment to Russia in limbo

About $809 million has piled up in a Bangladesh Bank escrow account to repay loans and interest for the Russia-funded Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant.

www.thedailystar.net

$800m repayment to Russia in limbo

Photo: collected

About $809 million has piled up in a Bangladesh Bank escrow account to repay loans and interest for the Russia-funded Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant.

Escrow is an arrangement for a third party to hold the assets of a transaction temporarily. The assets are kept in a third-party account and are only released when all terms of the agreement have been met.

The central bank was left with little choice but to deposit funds into the special account (escrow) after sanctions were levied on Russia following its invasion of Ukraine.

Among these sanctions, at least 10 Russian banks were barred from using the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication (SWIFT) system, which provides the main messaging network through which international payments are initiated.

As of Thursday, over three-quarters of a billion dollars had been deposited in the account. It will be paid in the future, The Daily Star learned from officials of the central bank who are directly involved with the matter.

Bangladesh agreed to borrow around $13 billion from Russia for the construction of the nuclear plant in Rooppur in 2016.

It is scheduled to pay interest as well as a ten percent advance payment, but transactions have stagnated for over a year because of the sanctions.

The repayment of the principal amount will commence from March 15, 2027. However, the interim government recently proposed extending it to March 15, 2029.

Seeking anonymity, a senior central bank official told The Daily Star that government stakeholders, including from the Economic Relations Division (ERD) and the Bangladesh Bank, are continuing to arrange meetings to discuss how payments can be made to Russia.r

ad more on"bWe are trying to find out how to settle the issue. The central bank is also keeping an eye out for alternative channels.

"Over the past year, we have tried to find a risk- and hassle-free process to make payments. But the issue is yet to be finalised."

The official added that they would feel comfortable if the tenure for repayment of the principal amount was extended.

Around eight to nine instalments were already paid before sanctions on Russia were imposed, he added.

The EXIM Bank of Russia began to disburse loans for the project in 2017.

The interim government, which took office following the ouster of the Sheikh Hasina-led Awami League government on August 5 this year, has taken initiatives to review loan agreements for mega projects made by the previous regime, including the nuclear facility in Rooppur.

ERD officials told The Daily Star that Russia proposed to send payments through a bank in China, but it had not yet been evaluated.

In another development, the government decided to make partial advance payments for the project in the local currency instead of US dollars after Atomstroyexport, the Russian contractor for the project, agreed to receive payments in Bangladeshi currency Taka.

The advance payments will be made through the state-run Sonali Bank.

Industry insiders said that about 69 percent of the project has already been implemented.

Construction work is scheduled to be completed on December 31 next year.​

 

[Saif]

Rooppur NPP: Bangladeshi engineers receive training in Russia on nuclear fuel handling

Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant engineers have completed training at a Rosatom research institute in Troitsk, Russia. Organised by Rosatom Fuel Division, top experts in Theoretical Physics, Computational Mathematics, and Advanced Engineering, conducted the 3-week training course on handling VVER react

thefinancialexpress.com.bd

Rooppur NPP: Bangladeshi engineers receive training in Russia on nuclear fuel handling
Published :
Oct 08, 2024 21:26
Updated :
Oct 08, 2024 22:46

Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant engineers have completed training at a Rosatom research institute in Troitsk, Russia.

Organised by Rosatom Fuel Division, top experts in Theoretical Physics, Computational Mathematics, and Advanced Engineering, conducted the 3-week training course on handling VVER reactor nuclear fuel, utilising advanced computer analysis tools, UNB reported citing a press release.

In particular, Bangladeshi engineers studied the Reactor Fuel–Coolant Activity (RTOP-CA) code, which allows for determining the loss of integrity of fuel rods and the release of fission products into the primary circuit of the VVER reactor.

The knowledge and skills acquired will help the experts understand nuclear fuel behaviour under abnormal conditions.

"An important aspect of any international NPP project is personnel training. One of the advanced training areas is using computer simulation tools,” noted Kirill Ilyin, DG, Rosatom Research Institute in Troitsk.

The training programme provides a comprehensive study in this area. It includes lectures, reading the technical documents, and practical tasks to control the fuel rod integrity, he added.

"The training sessions are a great opportunity to boost our competencies. The lectures, assignments, and tutorials were concise, easy to understand, and directly related to our jobs,” said Mohammad Shorif Uddin, head of the Fuel Rod Jacket Spectrometry and Monitoring, Rooppur NPP.

“I want to express gratitude to the institute’s team. They put a lot of effort into making our training as effective and memorable as possible."

After the training, the Bangladeshi experts passed their final exams and received RTOP-CA user certificates.

The RTOP-CA code has been developed for in-process monitoring of fuel rod jackets. The code predicts the activity of fission products in the primary circuit coolant of VVER reactors and the behaviour of fuel rods in case of loss of integrity.

Rosatom provides regular training for the Rooppur NPP operating personnel. About 1,500 Bangladeshi engineers will participate in training sessions and internships at Rosatom facilities. About 800 personnel have already received training at the Rosatom Technical Academy.​

 

[Saif]

Reactor assembly at power unit-1 of Rooppur NPP completed

The reactor assembly process at power unit-1 of the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant has been completed, Russian Rosatom said in a statement Wednesday The process involved installing reactor internals, loading fuel assembly simulators, installing protective pipes, an upper unit, and smart automated and

thefinancialexpress.com.bd

Reactor assembly at power unit-1 of Rooppur NPP completed
FE ONLINE REPORT
Published :
Oct 23, 2024 19:25
Updated :
Oct 23, 2024 19:25
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The reactor assembly process at power unit-1 of the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant has been completed, Russian Rosatom said in a statement Wednesday

The process involved installing reactor internals, loading fuel assembly simulators, installing protective pipes, an upper unit, and smart automated and monitoring systems (SAMS) sensors, etc.

The next step will be hydraulic testing to check the operability of the reactor plant equipment, the statement noted.

Specialists from Atomstroyexport, Atomtekhenergo, and Rosenergoatom carried out the assembly work.

"Completion of the reactor assembly and getting prepared for key tests is an important stage to ensure the efficient operation of the future power unit. We are responsible for the safe, uninterrupted, and reliable operations. We carefully monitor each stage of the work, using advanced methods and technologies that have been tested many times at our construction sites" Alexey Deriy, Atomstroyexport Vice President for Projects in Bangladesh was quoted as saying in the statement.

Rooppur NPP is being implemented with technical and financial assistance from Russia.

It will host two power units with a total capacity of 2,400 MW. Russian VVER-1200 reactors have been chosen for the project.

This is an evolutionary Generation III+ design reactor that fully complies with all the international safety requirements.

Rosatom Engineering Division is the project's general designer and general contractor.​

 

[Sharma Ji]

Weapons is a whole other game. You lot will never be allowed, India and Pak were the last, and we just muscled our way into the club, full jaahil style, rogues proper

BD won't have a chance in hell to make warheads.

@Lulldapull @Dogun18

 

[Sharma Ji]

Bangladesh "military nuclear program"

My smelly pajeit asz

 

[Sharma Ji]

Not your smelly pajeit asz but your smelly pajeit mouth.

Not happening for you lot, impossible.

India and Pakistan were the last to get on that boat.

You'd be a proper nuke power if we didn't sever your asz back in 71.

Doesn't it suck to be you ?