Around 300MW to Be Supplied to National Grid from November

After months of delays, Bangladesh’s first nuclear power plant at Rooppur is advancing toward commercial operation this November, with plans to supply approximately 300 MW of electricity to the national grid from its first unit.
Project officials stated that work is underway to rectify faults identified during pre-commissioning PORV tests on the pressurizer. Once resolved, nuclear chain reaction and power start-up procedures will commence, a process estimated to take about nine weeks. Project Director Dr. Md. Kabir Hossain noted that power generation could begin by November if technical operations proceed as planned, though further issues during testing could cause additional delays.

In 2016, the production cost per unit was estimated at BDT 4.65. Even with operational, maintenance, and other overheads, the project director expects the cost to remain under BDT 10 per unit.
Meanwhile, agreements and cost structures regarding the return of spent nuclear fuel to Russia remain unfinalized, raising concerns among experts over radioactive waste management. Prof. Dr. Md. Shafiqul Islam of Dhaka University urged effective measures before operations start. Subject to timely completion of technical tests, electricity supply from Rooppur’s first unit to the national grid is expected to begin in November.