Rooppur to Join National Grid Control System

Bangladesh is integrating the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant with the modern control and monitoring infrastructure of the national power grid.

Under the initiative, essential information from the transmission systems of Rooppur Units 1 and 2, along with key data from the plant’s 400kV and 230kV gas-insulated switchgear (GIS) substations, will be integrated into the National Load Dispatch Centre’s (NLDC) SCADA/EMS system.

A contract to implement the integration was signed on September 2, 2026 between the Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission (BAEC) and GE Vernova.

Under the agreement, data and designated critical signals from eight transmission lines associated with Units 1 and 2, as well as the 400kV and 230kV GIS substations, will be integrated into the NLDC’s SCADA/EMS platform.

The integration will allow essential information and signals from Rooppur’s electricity transmission system to be made available within the national grid’s central control infrastructure. This will enable the relevant control centre to monitor and use key transmission-system information from Rooppur.

Why the integration matters
SCADA, or Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition, supports real-time monitoring, data acquisition and operational control of power infrastructure. An Energy Management System (EMS) uses such information to support the management and balancing of a wider electricity network.

GE Vernova says SCADA can provide control rooms with up-to-date information on infrastructure status, voltage, load measurements and switching operations, while EMS supports grid-wide load balancing and operational management.

For Bangladesh, connecting Rooppur’s transmission system to this architecture means key information from the plant’s transmission infrastructure can be made visible to the NLDC as electricity generated by the nuclear plant enters the national grid.

The integration is therefore being viewed as an important technical step for ensuring reliable transmission of electricity generated by Rooppur and for supporting the plant’s commissioning and subsequent operations.

GE Vernova already involved in grid integration
According to the information provided by the authorities, GE Vernova has been involved in SCADA/EMS integration activities for power plants in Bangladesh.

Against this backdrop, the Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources has also given its views in favour of implementing the integration of Rooppur with the NLDC SCADA/EMS system through an agreement with GE Vernova.

GE Vernova’s published annual report for its Indian operations also refers to implementation of a SCADA/AEMS control centre in Dhaka for Power Grid Company of Bangladesh.

Rooppur enters a critical commissioning phase
Unit 1 of the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant is currently undergoing post-fuel-loading tests and commissioning activities.

Fuel loading at Unit 1 began on April 28, 2026. By May 12, all 163 fuel assemblies had been sequentially loaded into the reactor core. The project then moved into further testing, instrumentation and system verification stages.

Earlier, the Bangladesh Atomic Energy Regulatory Authority (BAERA) issued the commissioning licence required for fuel loading at Unit 1 following assessments and reviews by national and international regulatory bodies.

Recent media reports have focused on the timeline for Rooppur’s first electricity supply to the national grid. Bangladesh Post reported that Unit 1 could potentially supply 300MW to the grid on a trial basis in September, subject to completion of the remaining tests and procedures. The report said more than 100 tests had already been completed, while several complex and sensitive tests were continuing.

A September 1 report by Jago News also said discussions were underway over starting trial operations at Rooppur in September, with the plant expected to move towards full-scale generation the following year.

Preparing for Bangladesh’s first nuclear electricity
The Rooppur project consists of two VVER-1200 units with a combined installed capacity of 2,400MW.

Following completion of fuel loading at Unit 1, the commissioning process includes bringing the reactor to its minimum controllable power level, gradually increasing power and conducting extensive testing of the plant’s systems.

Science and Technology Minister Fakir Mahbub Anam told parliament that the Rooppur project had entered the commissioning and startup phase. He said Stage-B activities for Unit 1 included fuel loading and physical startup, along with reactor and primary-circuit testing, safety verification and sub-criticality testing.

At this stage, the integration with the national grid control centre is intended to ensure that Rooppur’s transmission-system information can be monitored by grid operators.

This will become increasingly important as the plant moves from commissioning into commercial operation.

Integration needed on an urgent basis
The SCADA/EMS integration needs to be completed on an urgent basis to maintain the scheduled commissioning and operational timeline of the Rooppur plant, according to the project-related information.

For a nuclear power plant, starting the reactor is only one part of the process. Reliable delivery of generated electricity to the national grid also requires coordinated readiness across transmission infrastructure, protection systems, control centres and communications networks.

The integration of Rooppur’s eight transmission lines and critical information from its 400kV and 230kV GIS substations into the NLDC SCADA/EMS system will therefore represent an important technical step in preparing Bangladesh’s first nuclear power plant for grid-connected operation.
//DBTech/NESA/RKE/MIST//