Nuclear power is crucial for Bangladesh to bringing its entire population under the national grid and ensuring long-term energy security, analysts said yesterday.

“Dependence on natural gas is not good as the source of energy is exposed to price volatility,” said Iliya Platonov, a nuclear expert from Russia.

Bangladesh produces 60 percent of its electricity from natural gas, he said at a discussion on “nuclear energy: trends, opportunities and prospects” at Sonargaon Hotel in Dhaka.

The rest is produced using diesel, furnace oil and coal, he added.

Gas reserves in Bangladesh are depleting fast, prompting the government to look at ways to diversify the energy mix.

Per capita electricity consumption in Bangladesh stands at around 278 kilowatt/hour, much below the global average of 3,065 kWh, Platonov said. Only about 60 percent of the population has access to electricity, he said.

“The situation is dismal in rural areas, where 70 percent of the country's people live, but only 42 percent of them are connected to the grid network.”

Platonov, also the editor-in-chief of the Nuclear.Ru, a leading online newspaper in Russia specialising in nuclear energy, came to Bangladesh to visit the Rooppur nuclear power plant in Pabna and see progress.

Nuclear energy will continue to be a leading source of electricity in future, and its share in global energy mix would go up, he said.

Nuclear power is also important from the viewpoint of climate change, as it does not produce carbon dioxide, he added. Platonov said safety concerns should be a critical point for any nuclear plant.

Rosatom State Atomic Energy Corporation of Russia is helping Bangladesh build two nuclear power plants to produce 2,400 megawatts of electricity in total.

Zahid Hasan Mahmood, a professor of electrical and electronic engineering at Dhaka University (DU), and Shafiqul Islam, an associate professor of the nuclear engineering department at DU, urged Rosatom to help Bangladesh develop human resources capable of running the Rooppur project.

According to Rosatom, the main construction work will start in 2017. The first unit is expected to go into production in 2022 and the second in 2023.

Mostafa Kamal Majumder, editor of Green Watch, an online media outlet, said if the technology is safe, nuclear power could be a viable option for Bangladesh to ensure energy security.