NEW DELHI, August 13. /TASS/. Moscow is working with Dhaka to improve Bangladesh’s infrastructure, with the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) being a prime example of cooperation between the two countries, Russian Ambassador to Bangladesh Alexander Mantytsky told TASS.

"Russia is Bangladesh’s partner in the sphere of development. The Rooppur NPP is the flagship project of our cooperation on energy. After reaching full production capacity, the power plant will bolster the republic’s energy security, ensuring up to 10% of the country’s power consumption and lowering its dependence on coal and gas imports," he said. According to the envoy, additional capacities will jumpstart the national economy and help Bangladesh develop industry in the country.

Mantytsky reiterated that the construction of the Rooppur NPP creates jobs for local residents. About 20,000 Bangladeshi citizens are employed there, the ambassador stressed.

The Rooppur nuclear power plant is being built on the east bank of the Padma River 160 km from the Bangladeshi capital of Dhaka. The construction of the Russian-designed generation III+ plant began in 2021. It will be equipped with two power units with VVER-1200 reactors with a lifecycle of 60 years with the possible extension of another 20 years. Currently, the construction of the first and second power units is underway.