Nuclear power in Bangladesh

The country has a rapidly increasing power demand and is aiming to reduce its dependence on natural gas.
 * Bangladesh started construction of its first nuclear power reactor, Rooppur 1, in November 2017. Commissioning is expected in 2023.
 * Construction of the second unit at Rooppur commenced in July 2018.

Bangladesh produced 64 TWh gross of electricity in 2016. Some 53 TWh (82%) was from natural gas and 10 TWh from oil1. Electricity demand is rising rapidly (7% per year) and capacity was 10.9 GWe as of 20152.About 20% of the population remains without electricity either from grid or local solar installations, and those relying on the grid experience frequent power cuts. Some 5% of government expenditure is being allocated to ‘power and energy’. The government plans for the whole country to be accessible to the grid by 2021, and the Rural Electrification Board has drawn up ambitious plans to connect 2.7 million more households by then (see figures published by the Bangladesh government's Power Division).A long-term plan was made in the the Power System Master Plan (PSMP) 20162, an updated version of the PSMP 2010. The plan aims for generation capacity of 23 GWe in 2020, 40 GWe in 2030, and 60 GWe in 2041. The first contribution from nuclear is expected in 2023, and the plan shows approximately 7 GWe nuclear capacity by 2041.