Dhaka: Bangladesh has signed here a 'primary deal' with Russia for installing a 2,000 MW nuclear power plant, which would be its first.
To be located at Rooppur in Pabna district in the northern region. The plant would be completed in 2017-18 at a cost of $1.5 to 2 billion.
The final deal would be signed in April this year when Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is expected to visit Russia.
Secretary of the Ministry of Science Abdur Rob Howlader and deputy director general of Russian Atomic Energy Corporation Nickolav Spasskiy initialled the deal, the New Age newspaper said on Friday.
State Minister for Science and Information and Communications Technology (ICT), Yeafesh Osman, Russian Ambassador to Bangladesh Gennady P. Trotsenko and senior officials of the ministry and Russian embassy were present on the occasion.
The Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission prepared the action plan for executing the power plant project to meet the growing demand for energy.
"Both sides agreed to install two third-generation reactors, each with 1,000 MW capacity," a top official of the ministry told Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS), the official news agency.
According to the ministry, Russia will manage the spent-fuel and recycle it.
Bangladesh had in the past signed MoUs with China, Russia, the US, France and India for cooperation in the area of peaceful use of nuclear energy. It had also initiated talks with South Korea.
Considering the present reserves of gas, coal and other sources of energy in the country, the revised National Energy Policy strongly favoured a nuclear power plant as other imported fuel options like coal and oil for power generation were becoming increasingly expensive.