(Reuters) – Energy-poor Bangladesh began construction of its first nuclear power plant on Wednesday, announcing plans to complete the first of two Russia-backed, 1,000-megawatt reactors by June 2017.
The $2 billion project calls for up to $500 million in credit financed by Russia and a second reactor to be completed in 2022.
Russia’s Rosatom will build, operate, provide fuel for the plant and process its spent fuel in Russia.
The project is part of an export drive backed by Russian President Vladimir Putin that includes state-run nuclear conglomerate Rosatom building first plants for Iran and Turkey.
Spanning all facets of the industry, from uranium mining to fuel enrichment and recycling and grid development, Rosatom is involved in 28 of the 68 nuclear reactors currently under construction worldwide, IAEA and Rosatom data show.
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