Project to transmit electricity to national grid gets govt nod

The government has taken two auxiliary projects at a cost of Tk 11,317 crore to transmit electricity from Rooppur nuclear power plant to the national grid and to transport goods by train to the plant.

Yesterday, the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec) at a meeting approved a project, transmission and infrastructure development for evacuation of electricity produced in rooppur nuclear power plant, at a cost of Tk 10,981 crore.

After the meeting, Planning Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal told the reporters that first concrete pouring for setting the nuclear cauldron of Rooppur power plant has started. He said 669-kilometre line will be set up for transmitting electricity generated from this plant.

According to the planning ministry document, of the total cost, India will finance Tk 8,219 crore in the project to be implemented by 2022. Under the project, 400 KV double circuit transmission line will be constructed.  

Of the line, 154-km transmission line will be set up from Rooppur to Amin Bazar in Dhaka including 7-km river crossing line. Besides, 51-km transmission line will be constructed from Amin Bazar to Kaliakoir, 150-km from Rooppur to Goplaganj, 102-km from Rooppur to Bogra, 152-km from Rooppur to Dhamrai, and 60-km from  Rooppur to Baghabari.

According to the planning ministry proposal, on the basis of technical study through Russian consultant various related development works would be completed for safe transmission of electricity from Rooppur Nuclear power plant to the national grid.

The Ecnec approved another project for renovation and building of rail line for transporting equipment for the nuclear power plant to the site at a cost of Tk 336 crore.

The planning minister said an initiative has been taken to set up a new rail line at Ishwardi in Pabna for safe and quick transporting of heavy equipment for the nuclear power plant.

Under the project, about 27-km rail line will be constructed and renovated from Ishwardi bypass point to Rooppur nuclear power plant, according to project proposal.

For generation of 2,400 megawatt from two units of nuclear power plants in December 2015, Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission and Russian firm Rosatom signed a $12.65 billion loan agreement.

The planning ministry proposal said the first plant will come into operation in 2022 and another in 2023.

Ecnec has also passed a Tk 410 crore project for increasing efficiency of the public administration that will be implemented by the Governance Innovation Unit of the Prime Minister's Office (PMO). Under the project, various trainings and higher educational degrees, including PhD and master's, will be financed from 2018 to 2022.

According to the project proposal, under the programme titled “Sheikh Hasina fellowship”, 125 persons will be financed for PhDs, 250 for master's degrees, and 67 for post-graduate diplomas. Arrangement will be made for providing short course training abroad to 160 persons under the programme. Besides, 720 will be given short training in the country.

Replying to a query about making such big amount of allocation for the programme, the planning minister said about Tk 2-crore is required for PhD programme for one person, so the cost is not high.

Yesterday, the ECNEC altogether approved 16 projects involving cost of Tk 15,683 crore.