ROOPPUR (Bangladesh), July 14. /TASS/. The intention of Bangladesh to construct the second nuclear power plant (NPP) in the country’s south opens up new prospects for the Russian-Bangladeshi nuclear cooperation, Russia's Deputy Prime Minister responsible for the military-defense complex Yuri Borisov said on Saturday at the ceremony of pouring the first concrete into the slab of the second power unit of the Rooppur NPP.

"Today Prime Minister (of Bangladesh Sheikh Hasina) hinted that they have plans to construct two new power unites in the southern part of Bangladesh, which is why I think there are chances that we will expand this cooperation," he said.

The start of construction of the second power unit of the Rooppur NPP that is being performed under the Russian design in the country, is a landmark event both for Bangladesh and Rosatom, Russia’s state-run nuclear corporation, Borisov said. "It is a very important project, which brings the economy and energy of Bangladesh to a new level as energy reserves are required for development of industry, production, high-tech agriculture, and science," he said.

According to Deputy PM, Rooppur is a long-term project advantageous for Russia. "The lifecycle of a nuclear power plant is a few tens of years. In fact, if Russia constructs the plant, it will be providing operating services practically during its whole lifecycle, this being replacement of nuclear fuel cells, staff training and potential upgrade of the plant," he explained.

Meanwhile, Borisov noted that the collaboration of the two countries extends beyond nuclear power industry. "I think that there are development potential in the field of industry and science, in such science-driven areas as energy and space," he said, adding that the military and technical cooperation between the two countries is also developing fast.

The Rooppur nuclear power plant construction is performed according to the Intergovernmental Russian-Bangladesh agreement on cooperation in the area of NPP construction on the territory of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh of November 2, 2011. On December 25, 2015, the General Contract for designing, construction and commissioning of two NPP power units based on 1200 Mwe VVER-reactors each on the Rooppur NPP site was signed. The construction of the first power unit of the nuclear power plant started in November 2017. On July 8, 2018, the Bangladeshi Atomic Energy Regulatory Authority (BAERA) granted a license for design and construction of Rooppur NPP's second power.