Staff reporter :
Bangladesh’s first nuclear power facility at Rooppur is set to begin trial operations in December, Science and Technology Adviser Salehuddin Ahmed confirmed on Thursday , noting that nuclear fuel for the plant has already been delivered.
“We had earlier requested Russia to launch in November, but they have informed us the trial operation will commence in December,” Salehuddin, who also serves as finance adviser, told media at his ministry office.
He added that a team from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has inspected the site and provided recommendations, which are currently being implemented. “They will return to give the final approval,” he said.
The per-unit price of electricity from the project has not yet been finalised. According to sources at the Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission, a technical committee has submitted its report to the relevant ministry.
A decision is expected in two weeks, after which consultations with various stakeholders will begin.
The IAEA’s Pre-Operational Safety Review Team (Pre-OSART), which completed its mission on 27 August, praised Bangladesh’s strong commitment to safety at Rooppur Unit 1.
Such reviews are a prerequisite for commercial operations, benchmarking nuclear facilities against global standards before fuel loading.
Situated in Pabna on the banks of the Padma River, the twin-unit Rooppur plant will eventually add 2,400MW of electricity to the national grid.
Construction of Unit 1 began in 2017, followed by Unit 2 in 2018. Both reactors are of Russia’s VVER-1200 design.
Local Government Adviser Asif Mahmud Shojib Bhuyain earlier announced that electricity from the project is expected to be connected to the national grid by December, as construction continues at a rapid pace.
Loan disbursement period extended In a significant development, Bangladesh has secured an extension of the Russian loan disbursement period for the project until 2027.
The agreement—formalised under “Protocol-2” on 14 July—was necessary due to delays caused by the Covid-19 pandemic and Western sanctions on Russian banks.
The revised terms, witnessed by Adviser Salehuddin, also defer the start of principal repayment by 18 months. Under the new arrangement, repayments will begin in September 2028, instead of March 2027.
According to ERD Secretary Md Shahriar Kader Siddiky, the updated protocol will help keep the project on track.
The Rooppur plant is being built at an estimated cost of $12.65 billion, with Russia financing 90percent ($11.38 billion) through a state loan, while Bangladesh is providing the remaining 10percent.
