Lesson 4/44 min
Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant
Key facts
- Location: Pakshi, Ishwardi, Pabna; on the Padma river; area 1,062 acres
- Two units, total capacity 2,400 MW; Russian VVER-1200 technology
- Builder: Russia's Rosatom; financed by Russia and Bangladesh
- Overseen by the Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission (BAEC); company: Nuclear Power Plant Company Bangladesh Limited (NPCBL)
- Ministry: Ministry of Science and Technology
- Nuclear fuel supplier: Barrus Project LLC
- The books date the project idea to 1961; it is the biggest single project in the country's history
Timeline
| When | What happened |
|---|---|
| 30 November 2017 | First concrete poured for Unit 1 (construction begins) |
| 28 September 2023 | The first uranium consignment reaches Bangladesh |
| 5 October 2023 | Uranium formally handed over; Bangladesh presents itself as the 33rd nuclear-power country (the book's claim) |
| 28 April 2026 | Fuel loading stage begins at Unit 1 |
| 11 October 2026 | Unit 1 reaches first criticality; grid connection still pending |
Watch out: Khandokar's book expected trial production in September 2024 and commercial production in 2025. In fact it slipped: as of November 2026 no power has reached the national grid, so it is wrong to say the plant is “in operation”.
Did you know?: Exam answers: the supporting country is Russia; location Ishwardi, Pabna; planned output 2,400 MW.
Check yourself
What is the total capacity of Rooppur, and which country is helping?
At a glance
- 1
Rooppur: Ishwardi, Pabna, on the Padma river; area 1,062 acres.
- 2
Capacity 2,400 MW (two units); built by Russia's Rosatom.
- 3
First concrete on 30 November 2017; uranium handover on 5 October 2023.
- 4
Unit 1 reached first criticality on 11 October 2026; grid connection still pending.
- 5
Overseen by BAEC; company NPCBL; under the Ministry of Science and Technology.