A number of global nuclear power plant builders are interested to bag contracts after the government has initiated the process of building the second nuclear power plant in southern region.
Some Chinese firms have already submitted proposals early this month to state-run Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission (BAEC) showing their interest to build the proposed plant.
Alongside Russian contractors, other Asian and European nuclear power plant manufacturers are looking at the opportunity, said a senior Commission official.
China State Construction Engineering Corporation and Dongfang Electric Corporation have already talked with the Commission to construct the planned nuclear power plant.
The government, however, is cautious about advancing work with the second nuclear power plant.
"None of the proposals are being considered seriously as we have not selected a prospective site for the country's second nuclear power plant," science and technology minister Yeafesh Osman told the FE.
"We need to scrutinise the proposals and select a prospective site before we reach the decision," he said.
The Commission is now carrying out studies to select a site for building the second nuclear power plant," project director for the site selection AFM Mizanur Rahman said.
Mr Rahman, an officer of the Commission, said around a dozen sites have primarily been selected.
The sites include Barisal, Barguna, Patuakhali, Chittagong, Cox's Bazar and Payra, he said.
Some islands including Gangamati in Patuakhali, Mazher Char in Barguna, Boyar Char in Noakhali and Muhurir Char in Feni are also on the study, he said.
All the sites are located in the country's southern part, he said.
Evaluation by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the feasibility study and an environmental impact assessment (EIA) would be required for selecting a site, he added.
Officials said the government is now focused on implementing the construction of the country's first nuclear power plant at Roopur of Pabna, the capacity of which is 2,400 megawatts (MW).
Atomstroyexport, Russian state nuclear company Rosatom's international project subsidiary, is the lead contractor for the plant, now under construction.
The construction of Rooppur is based on the Russia-Bangladesh intergovernmental agreement signed on November 2, 2011.
The Rooppur project has a total cost estimate of around Taka 1.13 trillion ($13.48 billion), of Which Russia will provide $11.38 billion to Bangladesh. The Russian Bank for Development and Foreign Economic Affairs and Bangladesh's state-owned Sonali Bank Ltd. will work as authorised banks for the state loan.
Rooppur will feature two VVER-1200s, with Novovoronezh-2 in Russia serving as the reference plant. The VVER-1200 is a Generation III+ reactor design.
The Commission has assigned India's Global Centre for Nuclear Energy Partnership to act as a consultant for the construction and operation of the plant.
The Bangladesh government will provide Taka 220.52 billion from its own funding for the project. India will also provide around $1.0 billion in loans to facilitate construction of necessary plant infrastructure.
The first concrete was poured for Rooppur-one unit having 1200 MW capacity on November 30, 2017, while that of the second unit having similar capacity took place on July 14, 2018.
The design and construction work on the site are being performed by Atomstroyexport, Rosatom's engineering division.
Rosatom's machine building division, Atomenergomash, is the sole equipment supplier for the plant's nuclear island, as well as the auxiliary equipment for the turbine island.
Various divisions of Rosatom are in charge of the manufacture of reactor vessels, steam generators, pumps, heat-exchange and other equipment for the unit.
Atomstroyexport started the installation of core catcher at the second unit of the Rooppur project on Thursday, 2019.
