Published : 29 Oct 2026, 08:18 PM
Updated : 29 Oct 2026, 08:18 PM
Bangladesh has cleared another hurdle towards generating power at the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant, authorising its first unit to begin power startup after physical-startup tests.
The Bangladesh Atomic Energy Regulatory Authority (BAERA) approved “Stage C” activities, allowing the reactor’s power to rise and preparations for trial supply to the national grid to advance.
Company Managing Director Zahidul Hasan said Thursday that BAERA Chairman M Mahmudul Hasan had granted permission.
Officials expect trial supply to begin next month if testing and commissioning proceed as planned.
The approval followed successful technical tests, including the first unit’s B-2 physics tests. Reports were submitted to BAERA before it authorised the next stage.
During Stage C, engineers will test the reactor, coolant systems, turbine-generator, electrical infrastructure, instruments, controls and safety systems.
They will check how these systems work together as reactor power increases and monitor sensitive equipment.
A key milestone will be connecting the generator to the national grid and checking its ability to deliver electricity in line with grid frequency and other parameters.
Tests will begin at low reactor power and rise following technical assessments. Trial supply may start when the reactor reaches 30 to 35 percent of thermal capacity.
If testing goes well, officials hope to supply 300MW to the grid by December. The timeline depends on test results, commissioning progress and strict regulatory conditions.
Experts stress that Stage C testing, trial supply and commercial operation are separate milestones. Approval for power startup does not mean commercial production has begun; testing will continue after trial supply starts.
Rooppur has two units, each designed to generate 1,200MW, for a combined capacity of 2,400MW.
The project deadline, initially set for December 2025, has been extended twice to June 2028.
Costs have risen to Tk 1.38686 trillion amid exchange-rate pressures and financial and global factors.
