The Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant, Bangladesh’s first nuclear energy facility, is scheduled to begin trial operations in December, confirmed Dr. Salehuddin Ahmed, Finance and Science and Technology Adviser to the interim government.
Speaking to journalists at the Ministry of Finance today, Dr. Salehuddin said, “We had initially requested a November launch, but Russian authorities have confirmed that trial operations will begin in December.”
The trial run follows the recent arrival of nuclear fuel for the plant, marking a key milestone in the lead-up to commercial production.
IAEA Oversight and Safety Standards
Dr. Salehuddin also confirmed that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has already conducted an inspection at the facility. “The IAEA team made several recommendations, which are currently being implemented. They will return for a final review and approval before full operations begin,” he said.
An IAEA Pre-Operational Safety Review Team (Pre-OSART), which concluded its mission on 27 August, noted that Rooppur Unit 1 demonstrated a strong commitment to operational safety. These reviews are standard practice before any nuclear plant begins fuel loading, ensuring compliance with global safety benchmarks.
Project Background and Capacity
Located in Pabna on the banks of the Padma River, the twin-unit Rooppur plant will add 2,400 megawatts (MW) of electricity to the national grid once both Russian-designed VVER-1200 reactors become operational. Construction of Unit 1 began in 2017, followed by Unit 2 in 2018.
Dr. Salehuddin noted that the per-unit cost of electricity generated from the plant has not yet been finalized.
Russian Loan Terms Extended
In a significant development, Bangladesh has successfully negotiated an extension of the loan disbursement period under its intergovernmental agreement with Russia. Originally, the agreement set disbursements from 2017 to December 2024, with repayment to begin in March 2027 after a 10-year grace period.
Under the revised terms, the loan disbursement period has been extended until 2027, and repayments will now commence in September 2028.
The Rooppur project is being implemented at an estimated cost of $12.65 billion, with Russia financing 90% (around $11.38 billion) through a state loan. Bangladesh will cover the remaining 10%.