<div style="text-align: justify; "><b><span style="font-size: 1rem;">Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today inaugurated installation of the reactor pressure vessel (RPV) at Unit-2 of the 2400MW Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant (RNPP), enabling Bangladesh to reach nearer to produce electricity from nuclear.</span><br></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: justify;">The premier joined virtually the opening ceremony at the RNPP in Ishwardi of Pabna from her official Ganabhaban residence here.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: justify;">As per the project plan, the first unit of the nuclear power plant will supply 1,200 MW power in 2023 while the same amount of electricity will be available from the second unit in 2024.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: justify;">The project has seen around 53 % financial progress and 55% physical progress. However, the overall progress of the first unit is 70%.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: justify;">The Rooppur project is being implemented by the Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission with the technical and financial support of Russia. The project's construction cost, including manpower training, amounts to $12.65 billion, and 90% of it is being funded by Russia.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Earlier, on October 10 of last year, the prime minister had inaugurated the RPV at the first unit of the RNPP, which entitled Bangladesh as the 33rd country to have a nuclear power plant for producing electricity from nuclear energy.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Science and Technology Minister Architect Yeafesh Osman and Director General of Rosatom, Russia's Atomic Energy Organisation, Alexey Likhachev spoke on the occasion while Senior Secretary of the Ministry of Science and Technology Ziaul Hasan gave the address of welcome.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: justify;">A documentary on the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant was also screened at the function. BSS</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; ">bnbd24/kh</div>