Transmission Line To Evacuate RNPP Electricity To Be Ready By Mid-May

There has been no official fact-finding effort in determining the actual progress of the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant project.

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Dr. M. Rezwan Khan

One striking thing that affected the PGCB adversely is the undue interference of the ministry. It hampered the independent operation of the company. For the last 15 years, sitting secretaries of the ministry or the principal secretary became the chairman of PGCB, taking the opportunity to exert undue influence on the activities of the company, and on many occasions, the decisions went against the company's interest.

It is strange that there is no independent official progress report, i.e., how much progress has been made in different aspects of the power plant and how much work is left and when the plant will get ready to test-run the reactor. However, the issue of power evacuation only comes when the reactor is ready to operate, which I believe is not. Realistically, the transmission line should be ready by the end of March to mid-May 2025, as there are many uncertainties including delays in dollar disbursement from the Bangladesh Bank. As an independent person, I think, PGCB has given all possible efforts to complete the task on time.

Dr. M. Rezwan Khan, Professor Emeritus at the Department of EEE & Director of Institute for Advanced Research (IAR), United International University, made the observation about the project in an exclusive interview with Energy & Power Editor Mollah Amzad Hossain.

You are serving as the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Power Grid Company Bangladesh (PGCB). How would you evaluate the progress of this public sector company?