The commissioning of one unit of the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant is expected in December of this year, provided transmission lines are ready, even though the project’s completion deadline has been extended to 2027. The decision to extend the deadline was made in February at a meeting between Russian and Bangladeshi officials in Dhaka. The project, costing $12.65 billion, with the majority financed by Russia, has faced delays due to factors like the COVID-19 pandemic, the Russia-Ukraine war, and transmission line construction delays. While the original proposal aimed for unit-1 operation by December 2022 and unit-2 by October 2023, construction formally began in 2017 and 2018, respectively.
The project aims to provide 2400MW of power and is seen as critical for Bangladesh’s energy needs. Transmission lines are being installed, and if completed on schedule, unit-1 is expected to be operational by December. International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspection and personnel training are planned, and an operational license is required before nuclear fuel can be loaded. Despite the deadline extension, project officials remain optimistic about timely completion, with transmission line installation showing significant progress.
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