PDB to sign power purchase deal with Rooppur nuclear plant

The Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) will sign a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with Nuclear Power Plant Company Bangladesh Limited (NPCBL), operator of the 2400 MW plant being constructed in Pabna.

The science and technology ministry has recently approved a decision in this regard, according to sources familiar with the matter. 

Confirming the development to TBS, Md Zahedul Hassan, director of the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant project, said the ministry has given the green light to proceed with a PPA for buying electricity generated at the nuclear plant. 

He said a draft of the technical development document required for the PPA was prepared by the Rooppur project office and submitted to the Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission. After review and finalisation, it will be sent to the ministry for approval before the PPA can be signed.

However, a key factor remains unresolved: the exact tariff for the electricity. Officials said the final price cannot be determined until the evaluation of the plant's maintenance cost is complete, which is still underway.

Once the maintenance cost is finalised, NPCBL and BPDB are expected to sign the PPA, paving the way for the Rooppur project to start supplying nuclear-generated electricity to the national grid for the first time in Bangladesh's history.

The Rooppur plant, located in Ishwardi upazila of Pabna, is currently under construction. The plant comprises two units, each with a capacity of 1,200 MW. The first unit is expected to become operational in December 2025.

A meeting was held yesterday at the Rooppur project site office to mark the completion of the technical development document for the PPA. 

At the meeting, Project Director Zahedul Hassan, also the MD of NPCBL, said there had recently been some confusion regarding the PPA for the Rooppur plant. To address that, the science ministry decided that the PPA will be signed with NPCBL. 

NPCBL was established under the Nuclear Act of 2015, which clearly states that upon completion of the Rooppur project, all assets and responsibilities will be handed over to NPCBL. As the operator, NPCBL will be responsible for the plant's operations, maintenance, and radioactive waste management. So, it is logical for the PPA to be signed with NPCBL, he added.