A joint venture between Indian and Bangladeshi firms has signed a contract to construct a 26.5-kilometer rail line to connect Bangladesh's upcoming Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant (RNPP) with the Ishwardi junction in Pabna. The rail line project will be implemented by a joint venture comprising Standard Engineers Ltd (SEL) and Castle Construction Ltd (CCL) of Bangladesh and GTP Infraprojects Ltd of India in just 18 months. India's GPT Infraprojects Ltd will have a 34 percent share in the project.
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"For the construction of the Rooppur nuclear power plant, we will need to transport heavy machinery and instruments through a freight train. Hence, the construction of a new railway link is very important. It will build a network between Rooppur power plant and Chittagong and Mongla seaports, which will ease freight transportation," Md Mazibul Hoque, Bangladesh's railway minister, said.
Following the completion of construction work, it will be possible to transport all types of accessories from the Chattogram and Khulna ports to the power station.
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Earlier this week, Bangladesh's Atomic Energy Regulatory Authority granted a license to the Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission (BAEC) for the construction of the second unit of the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant. The construction of the first power unit is currently underway and it is expected that concrete will be poured into the slab of the reactor compartment of power unit 2 later this month. The construction of Rooppur NPP unit 1 started in November 2017.
