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Monday | November 16, 2026 | Dhaka

Rooppur nears entry into national grid

First unit awaits BAERA clearance for trial supply
 Staff Reporter
 Published: 12:45 AM, 16 November 2026

Bangladesh is poised to take a major step towards joining the world’s nuclear power-producing nations, with the first unit of the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant (RNPP) expected to begin supplying around 300 megawatts (MW) of electricity to the national grid on a trial basis this week.

Preparations for synchronising the country’s first nuclear power plant with the national grid are under way, with several preliminary activities already in progress, said Dr Khalequzzaman, deputy project director of the Rooppur project.

“If everything proceeds as planned, synchronisation with the national grid could take place this week,” he said.

Subject to approval from the Bangladesh Atomic Energy Regulatory Authority (BAERA) and successful completion of technical tests, the first unit could start supplying around 300MW to the grid within November.

However, project officials said it could take another five to six months for the unit to reach its full generation capacity.

Several sources associated with the project said preparations were under way to connect electricity from the country’s first nuclear power plant to the national grid on a trial basis this week, provided there were no technical glitches or unexpected difficulties.

Trial generation at the first unit has already advanced, with initial production activities progressing and coordination continuing among different technical systems, they said.

Once the reactor reaches 40 per cent of its thermal capacity, it will be capable of generating around 30-35 per cent of its full electricity output, enabling it to supply approximately 300MW to the national grid.

Following the initial grid connection, the generation and transmission systems will be closely monitored and tested over several days to identify any technical faults.

The plant will subsequently require clearance from BAERA before formally beginning the supply of 300MW of electricity to the national grid.

Contacted for comment, BAERA Chairman Mahmudul Hasan said it was too early to confirm when electricity from Rooppur would start flowing into the national grid, although efforts were under way to begin the process as soon as possible.

He said the entire operation would be closely monitored once trial supply began, with every stage of electricity generation and transmission examined to ensure that all systems were functioning properly.

The formal inauguration would take place only after the authorities were satisfied that there were no technical problems or irregularities, he added.