Rooppur Unit-1 awaits BAERA nod

The first unit of the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant has received the final approval from the Bangladesh Atomic Energy Regulatory Authority (BAERA) for power generation.

The approval paves the way to formally enter the era of nuclear power generation, with the first unit now moving towards the criticality stage, when a controlled and self-sustaining nuclear chain reaction will begin inside the reactor.

The Rooppur project, located in Ishwardi, Pabna, is being built with Russian technology and comprises two 1,200-megawatt units, giving the plant a total generation capacity of 2,400MW.

Eight transmission lines have also been constructed to evacuate electricity from the plant and connect it to the national grid.

The first unit has been developed using the Generation III+ VVER-1200 reactor technology, designed in accordance with international nuclear safety standards.

Each reactor has an initial design life of 60 years, with provision for a further 20 years of operation.

The project marks the culmination of more than a decade of preparation and construction.

An agreement to build a nuclear power plant at Rooppur was signed in November 2011, followed by a general contract with Russia’s state-owned nuclear corporation Rosatom on 25 December 2015.

The site licence was issued in 2016, while construction of Unit-1 began in 2017 and Unit-2 in 2018.
The first batch of nuclear fuel arrived at the Rooppur site in October 2023.

Since then, the first unit has undergone a series of tests and commissioning procedures before reaching the final stage for initial operation.

On 30 September, 12 tests were successfully completed at a pressure of 16.1 megapascals and a temperature of 280 degrees Celsius.

A subsequent test involving pressure of 18.65 megapascals initially encountered difficulties, but the problems were later resolved, according to project-related sources.

The latest approval means the project can now proceed to the next major milestone, known as first criticality.

At this stage, fuel in the reactor core will be brought to the point at which a controlled, self-sustaining chain reaction can begin.

The process will then proceed gradually, with reactor power increased in stages while safety and operational parameters are closely monitored.

Once the reactor reaches an output of around 300MW, trial electricity supply to the national grid is expected to begin.

Project officials hope that experimental power generation and grid connection can begin in December.

A total of 163 fuel assemblies will be loaded into the reactor core of Unit-1. The reactor’s VVER-1200 design incorporates multiple safety systems and is classified as a Generation III+ nuclear technology.

According to officials and project sources, the first unit has broadly completed the B1 stage of the commissioning process in line with International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) guidelines.

The difficulties encountered during the final test of the automatic pressure-relief valve have also been resolved.

The project will now move towards the B2 stage, which involves preparing the nuclear reactor for initial operation and the subsequent stages of commissioning.

Once fully operational, the two Rooppur units are expected to generate 2,400MW of electricity and meet an estimated 10 to 12 per cent of Bangladesh’s total electricity demand.

The first unit’s operation will also mark a historic moment for Bangladesh’s energy sector, as the country joins the group of nations generating electricity through nuclear power.

According to officials familiar with the project, Bangladesh will become the world’s 33rd country to generate nuclear electricity once Unit-1 begins commercial generation.

The government has described the Rooppur project as a major step towards diversifying the country’s energy mix and strengthening long-term electricity security.

The commissioning of the first unit will also test Bangladesh’s institutional capacity to operate and regulate a large-scale nuclear facility under international safety and regulatory standards.

Concerned officials said that the power generation from the Rooppur Unit would address the existing electricity crisis and keep the manufacture industries running.