Rooppur nuclear plant to supply 300MW to national grid by end of August, minister tells parliament
Fuel loading began on 28 April; reactor to be connected to grid on around the 114th day of fuel loading, per contractor's schedule
Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant is expected to supply approximately 300MW of electricity to the national grid for the first time by the end of August 2026, Post, Telecommunications and Information Technology Minister Fakir Mahbub Anam told the National Parliament today (14 June).
The minister made the disclosure in a written reply to a question from Jamalpur-3 lawmaker Md Mostafizur Rahman Babul, who asked when the plant would become operational.
He said Rooppur – the country's first nuclear power plant and a landmark project in Bangladesh's energy sector – is currently in its commissioning and start-up phase, the final and most complex stage before electricity generation begins
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Fuel loading for Unit-1's Stage-B (Fuel Loading and Physical Startup) began on 28 April. Currently under way are nuclear fuel installation in the reactor, boric acid addition, various tests on the reactor and primary circuit, safety system verification, sub-criticality testing, and other commissioning activities.
The next steps will include bringing the reactor to a critical state, integrated testing of control and protection systems, and low-power operation.
The minister said the reactor's capacity will be increased in stages – first to 10–12% and subsequently to 35–40%.
If all tests and commissioning activities are completed successfully, the generator is expected to be connected to the grid around the 114th day of fuel loading, per the contractor's schedule – which points to the end of August 2026 for the first grid connection, with an initial output of around 300MW, added the minister.
