Rooppur Nears Commercial Operation

Bangladesh's first nuclear power project stands on the verge of commercial electricity generation. A three-member high-level technical engineering team from the International Atomic Energy Agency has arrived to assess the overall safety and technical progress of the project at Rooppur in Pabna. The team has already begun inspecting the power plant.

The plant has successfully entered its operational phase. Therefore, the primary objective of the visit is to monitor its technical capabilities.

The delegation is led by Mehmet Ceyhan, Technical Lead of the Nuclear Infrastructure Development Section at the IAEA. The team also includes Eric Jean Bernard Mathet, Senior Nuclear Engineer in the same section.

Saikat Ahmed, the project's media focal point officer, told Agamir Somoy, “The Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant is now at a highly significant stage. The IAEA technical team will closely monitor the overall progress and safety measures of this operational phase.”

He further said that the international mission is working to help ensure the safe operation of the country's mega project. The delegation will stay in Bangladesh for one week, during which it will conduct on-site inspections and technical assessments at the plant's main facility for two consecutive days.

Meanwhile, speaking to journalists this morning after visiting the headquarters of Power Grid Bangladesh PLC in Aftabnagar, Dhaka, Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Iqbal Hasan Mahmud Tuku said, “The Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant consists of two 1,200-megawatt units. Preparations are underway to begin power generation from the first unit. Construction of the second unit is also progressing at full pace. Although the Russian side had indicated that electricity supply could begin in August, stabilizing the entire system will require additional time. Therefore, we have set a target to fully commission the unit by November. There is not much time left to achieve this goal, so we are moving the work forward with the involvement of all relevant stakeholders.”

Sources concerned said that the Rooppur plant officially entered its historic operational phase on April 28 with the start of nuclear fuel loading into the first unit.

According to project officials, workers successfully completed the loading of 163 fuel assemblies into the reactor core by mid-May. The plant is currently carrying out a series of tests at various stages to ensure the reliability of all processing systems and guarantee safe operation in line with international standards.

Alongside the site inspection, authorities have launched a special joint initiative to review the country's nuclear energy strategy, current realities, and future roadmap for the sector. The Ministry of Science and Technology and the Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission, with support from the IAEA, have organized a two-day strategic roundtable meeting.

Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology Minister Fakir Mahbub Anam attended the event as the chief guest. Prime Minister’s Adviser on Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology Rehan Asif Asad joined as a special guest. Science and Technology Ministry Secretary Md. Anwar Hossain chaired the meeting.

The nuclear power plant, which features two VVER-1200 reactors, carries a construction cost of $12.65 billion. Russia is providing financial and technical assistance for the mega project, and Russian loans are covering 90 percent of the total project cost.