Bangladesh’s first nuclear power plant at Ruppur is set to begin trial operations this December, confirmed Dr. Salehuddin Ahmed, Adviser to the Ministry of Science and Technology.
Speaking to journalists at the Ministry of Finance on Tuesday (September 30), he said that although Bangladesh had requested Russia to commence operations in November, Russian authorities informed that the plant would be launched in December. Nuclear fuel has already arrived, and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has conducted inspections and provided recommendations, which are currently being implemented.
Located on the banks of the Padma River in Ishwardi, Pabna, the power plant consists of two units equipped with Russia’s VVER-1200 reactors, with a combined generation capacity of 2,400 megawatts. However, the per-unit price of electricity has not yet been finalized.
The project, supported technically and financially by Russia, adheres to IAEA safety standards, relevant guidelines, and international best practices. Construction officially began on November 30, 2017, following a bilateral agreement signed in February 2011 between the Bangladesh government and Russia’s state-owned nuclear energy corporation, Rosatom.
Bangladesh later received the license to import and store nuclear fuel at Ruppur after fulfilling all IAEA requirements. Once operational, the plant is expected to mark a major milestone in the country’s power generation sector.