Power Grid Bangladesh PLC aims to complete the transmission line for power supply from the first unit of the Rooppur power plant by April. Once the line is commissioned, it may take at least two months to initiate power generation at Rooppur. Experimental power generation could begin in July, followed by various tests before commercial power supply starts next year.
However, experts say that the timeline for power supply from the Rooppur power plant has been repeatedly delayed. Initially, production from the first unit was scheduled to begin in December 2023 but was postponed to December 2024. Now, further delays have pushed the timeline even further. Similarly, power generation from the second unit, originally set to start in December 2024, was rescheduled to 2025, and it may now begin as late as 2027.
Officials at the Rooppur power plant stated that ‘dummy’ fuel was introduced into the reactor vessel last September as part of preliminary testing. The start of power generation now depends entirely on the completion of the transmission line.
Once the line is built, nuclear fuel will be introduced two months later, which takes about a month to load into the reactor. Following this, power generation will gradually commence alongside rigorous testing. Only after completing all necessary tests can commercial power generation from Rooppur’s first unit begin next year—though the exact timeline remains uncertain.
Bangladesh’s first nuclear power plant is being constructed in Rooppur, Pabna, with financial and technical assistance from Russia. The project is being implemented by the Atomic Energy Commission under the Ministry of Science and Technology.
Atomstroyexport, a subsidiary of the Russian state nuclear agency Rosatom, is the project’s contractor, responsible for constructing two 1,200-megawatt units. Initially, the project was scheduled to run from July 2016 to December 2025. However, last year, the timeline was extended to December 2027. Despite this extension, the contractor cannot increase costs under the terms of the agreement.
Sources at the Rooppur power plant attribute the delays to several factors, including the Covid-19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war. Financial transaction complexities, difficulties in importing equipment, complications in bringing in foreign experts, and delays in payments due to the dollar crisis have all contributed to the setbacks. Additionally, the transmission line was not completed on time, prompting the government to extend the project period by two years in February last year.
Rooppur Power Plant Project Director Jahedul Hasan told Prothom Alo that once the transmission line is ready, two months will be needed for testing at the power plant. After that, nuclear fuel will be introduced over a one-month period, followed by a gradual increase in power production. However, he emphasised that it remains uncertain when commercial power supply will officially commence, as numerous tests and inspections must still be carried out.
Power transmission line yet to be completed
Power Grid Bangladesh PLC, the country’s sole power transmission company, is responsible for the Rooppur power transmission project. As part of this effort, they are constructing a total of six grid lines.
The transmission lines from Rooppur to Baghabari (65 kilometres), Rooppur to Bogura (102 kilometres), and Aminbazar to Kaliakoir (51 kilometres) have already been completed. Additionally, the land-based sections of the Rooppur-Gopalganj (144 kilometres), Rooppur-Dhaka (147 kilometres), and Rooppur-Dhamrai (145 kilometres) lines have also been finished. However, these three lines must cross the Padma and Jamuna rivers, which has added complexity to the project.
According to Power Grid Bangladesh PLC, efforts are currently underway to complete the two-kilometre segment crossing the Padma River by March, though the original target was December. Once this section is completed, power can be supplied from Rooppur’s first unit.
The overall project for the three river-crossing transmission lines is expected to be completed by June. Additionally, two 7-kilometer transmission lines are being constructed across the Jamuna River to supply power from Rooppur’s second unit. While work is progressing with full effort, crossing such large rivers presents challenges. Despite these obstacles, Power Grid Bangladesh PLC is striving to complete the work on schedule, aligning it with the Rooppur power plant’s construction timeline. The company anticipates that the two transmission lines crossing the Jamuna River will be completed by December.
It will take two more years
The Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant, the largest single project in Bangladesh’s history, is being built at a cost of approximately 1.14 trillion taka. Of this, the government is contributing 220.52 billion taka, while 910.40 billion taka is being provided by Russia as loan assistance.
The first phase of construction was inaugurated on 2 October, 2013, and the main construction work began in 2017. A significant milestone was reached in October 2021 with the installation of the reactor vessel inside the physical structure of Unit-1, marking the near completion of this unit. The reactor vessel is the core component of a nuclear power plant, where uranium is loaded as fuel for power generation. In October 2023, the reactor vessel for the second unit was installed.
On 5 October, 2023, Russia officially handed over the first batch of nuclear fuel to Bangladesh, formally recognising Rooppur as a nuclear facility. This milestone also marked Bangladesh’s entry into the Nuclear Club as its 33rd member. The fuel required for the first unit is currently stored at Rooppur, with Russia set to supply fuel for the first three years within the project’s cost, as per the agreement. Once operational, the nuclear power plant is expected to provide uninterrupted electricity at a stable rate, 24 hours a day.
Professor Shafiqul Islam from the Department of Nuclear Engineering at Dhaka University told Prothom Alo that after the reactor is loaded with fuel, power generation must begin at low capacity in stages over at least six months. Each phase of experimental production must be successfully completed before full-scale production can commence. This entire process requires approval from the Atomic Energy Regulatory Authority, which means full-scale production may not start until next year.
Professor Shafiul Islam also noted that while the two-year delay has not increased the project’s official cost, operational expenses—such as salaries and allowances for approximately 1,800 personnel—continue to rise. Revenue generation from electricity sales, which would offset the investment, has also been delayed by two years. As a result, the overall production cost per unit of electricity is expected to increase.
*This report, originally published in Prothom Alo print edition, has been rewritten in English by Farjana Liakat