The first unit of Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant (RNPP) will launch commercial operations in November, and all the authorities concerned are accelerating works to ensure this, said Energy Minister Iqbal Hasan Mahmud on Friday morning.

He made the remarks when addressing reporters after visiting the headquarters of Power Grid Bangladesh PLC (PGB) at Aftabnagar in the capital.

Later in the afternoon, Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology Minister Faqir Mahbub Anam told a roundtable discussion session that 1,000-megawatt of the 1,200-megawatt first unit is set to be added to the national grid by December.

He also said that if all goes according to plans, Prime Minister Tarique Rahman is set to inaugurate commercial operations at the first unit towards the end of August. After the inauguration, 300-megawatt would be initially added to the national grid, Faqir Mahbub Anam said.

He was speaking at the discussion session titled “Nuclear Energy: Strategy, Realities and Bangladesh’s Path Forward,” hosted at a resort conference hall in Ishwardi, Pabna.

The programme was arranged by the Ministry of Science and Technology, the Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

Faqir Mahbub Anam also noted that fuel loading for the second unit of RNPP is expected to be completed by April next year, and an additional 1,000-megawatt will be added to the national grid by the end of next year or by January 2028.

The two units combined are expected to meet 10% national power demand by January 2028, the telecom and information technology minister noted.