Rooppur plant's first unit may feed power to the national grid before December, says Science Minister Fakir Mahbub Anam

Science and Technology Minister Fakir Mahbub Anam has expressed hope that power supply to the national grid from the first unit of the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant may begin before December.

The minister made the remarks on Tuesday (3 November) at the Secretariat, answering a journalist's question at a press conference organised on the occasion of the 'Bangladesh AI Business Summit-2026'.

The minister said work at the Rooppur plant is now at the C-stage, where each step requires clearance from the relevant regulatory authority before moving to the next. As of today, the plant has achieved 20 percent thermal capacity.

Once that capacity reaches 35 to 40 percent, the steam produced will be used to spin the turbine, he said, and electricity generation will become possible once the generator is driven through the turbine. However, several more tests must be completed before generation begins.

He said safety is being given the highest priority. If test results are not satisfactory, equipment will be opened up as needed and tested and repaired again, following the same process not once but two, three or even four times if necessary. Power will not be supplied to the national grid until there is one hundred percent certainty.

The minister said that if everything proceeds normally over the next five to six weeks, it may be possible to begin supplying power. He declined, however, to give a specific deadline, noting that commissioning a nuclear power plant involves many delicate technical tests and safety matters that take time to complete.

The minister said work on a single VVR valve took about two months, and the problem was eventually resolved. Work is proceeding in coordination with the Russian contractor Rosatom, whose cooperation he also acknowledged.

He said Bangladeshi and Russian specialists working at field level, including the plant's scientists, its managing director and the project director, are working together in a coordinated way. Around 49 Russian scientists were previously engaged in the work, and the project is now advancing through the combined efforts of domestic and foreign experts.

Outlining the generation target, the minister said the plan is to start production with 300 megawatts and then raise output step by step. They hope production could exceed 1,100 megawatts within the first six months, though increasing output will depend on the progress of the scientists and specialists working in the field.