As Bangladesh moves closer to commissioning its first nuclear power plant, the government has begun exploring another nuclear technology, small modular reactors (SMRs), in consultation with the United States and other international partners.
The proposed reactors, capable of generating between 100 and 300 megawatts of electricity, are under consideration for remote regions, economic zones, and locations where constructing large transmission networks presents significant logistical challenges.
The government has held preliminary discussions with companies from the United States, China, and South Korea, as well as an Indian nuclear scientist. Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has expressed keen interest in the technology, according to a cabinet member.
Science and Technology Minister Fakir Mahbub Anam told TIMES of Bangladesh that SMRs could prove particularly beneficial in areas where connecting to conventional power grids is difficult.
“These units are highly suited to remote regions where constructing transmission lines is impractical, as well as dedicated sites such as Export Processing Zones (EPZs) and economic hubs,” he said.
US companies in discussions
The government has held talks regarding SMR projects with five to seven US-based firms. However, no financial proposals have been submitted yet, as the companies themselves are still assessing baseline capital costs.
China, by contrast, has submitted a proposal for a 100-megawatt SMR plant with an estimated cost of $800 million, a figure the minister described as prohibitively expensive. No other country has submitted a formal cost proposal to date.
Although SMRs are regarded as a promising emerging technology, commercial deployment remains limited globally.
Russia and China are currently the only nations operating such reactors on a commercial scale, while projects in the United States, Canada, and Romania remain at various stages of construction or regulatory approval.
Four to five reactors planned
The science and technology minister indicated that Bangladesh is contemplating the installation of four to five SMRs, though the projects are expected to take four to five years to materialise.
“We have four or five units in mind,” he said.
A senior official at the Ministry of Science and Technology confirmed that further rounds of talks will take place with potential international partners.
The topic of SMRs was also on the agenda during a bilateral meeting between Bangladeshi officials and US Energy Secretary Chris Wright in Washington on 27 August, where the peaceful application of nuclear energy formed a key element of the discussions.
Beyond Rooppur
Bangladesh’s inaugural nuclear power plant at Rooppur in Pabna, constructed with Russian assistance, features two units with a combined capacity of 2,400 megawatts. Once fully operational, the facility is expected to meet roughly 15 per cent of the country’s current electricity demand.
Russia is funding 90 per cent of the project’s $11 billion construction cost through a state credit facility.
Nuclear fuel has already been loaded into the first unit, and the government had anticipated receiving 300 megawatts of grid power from the facility in August.
However, generation has been delayed due to a technical issue involving a reactor valve, alongside reports of a major fire incident at the site.
Experts urge balanced energy mix
Shafiqul Islam, a professor in the Department of Nuclear Engineering at Dhaka University, noted that Bangladesh had previously signed a bilateral peaceful nuclear cooperation agreement with the United States, and Washington is now seeking to broaden that partnership.
“Bangladesh currently relies heavily on imported LNG for its coal-and-gas-fired power plants. SMRs could progressively replace those plants in specific regions. Furthermore, the risk of operational accidents is exceptionally low, almost negligible,” he told TIMES of Bangladesh.
However, Professor Islam cautioned against over-reliance on nuclear power.
“We must always maintain a balanced, diversified energy mix. Nuclear sources should not exceed 10 per cent of our total generation capacity,” he added.
Bangladesh currently possesses an installed generation capacity of 33,000 megawatts. Nevertheless, at the end of August, the grid struggled to satisfy peak demand of 17,000 megawatts, with over 40 power plants forced offline due to acute fuel shortages.
