In May, Bangladesh’s first nuclear power plant moved a step closer to confirming power generation after fuel loading was completed at the first unit of the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant. The plant is located about 160 kilometres from Dhaka. Construction of Unit 1 started in November 2017, while work on Unit 2 commenced in July 2018. The plant is now likely to come online in 2028.

As Bangladesh moves closer to attaining the status of a nuclear power-generating country, policymakers have begun weighing the option of setting up Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) or adding two more large reactors to the energy portfolio. However, according to Md Shafiqul Islam, professor of nuclear engineering at the University of Dhaka, the ambition is understandable but the timing demands far greater caution.

Writing an opinion piece in The Daily Star, a local Bangladeshi publication, Islam says that four key issues make an immediate SMR commitment premature. The first is quite simply Bangladesh’s lack of experience in operating a nuclear power plant. Building the skilled workforce and operational management needed to ensure the safe operation of a nuclear power plant is a long-term process that takes years. The second issue, according to Islam, is the lack of capacity to set up licensing and regulatory frameworks by the relatively young Bangladesh Atomic Energy Regulatory Authority (BAERA). SMRs are a special class of advanced nuclear technologies and require specific safety evaluations, regulatory approvals and inspection procedures, Islam says.

The third issue and pehaps most obvious is that of the limited number of commercially operational SMRs worldwide as only two are functional out of over 72 SMR designs under development. Most of these SMRs have not even secured a regulatory green light from their domestic nuclear regulators. The fourth is vendor selection complexity, whereby Dhaka will need to choose what technology to deploy, and to manage radioactive waste and geopolitical risk in the current international landscape.

A three-stage roadmap

Islam makes it clear that he is not arguing against SMRs outright, but is advocating a structured approach. According to the IAEA milestone approach, a nuclear programme requires a minimum 10 to 15 years of structured development to attain maturity. Islam says that at present, Bangladesh is in the very initial stages of this nuclear journey.

To begin with, Dhaka needs to successfully commission both units of the Rooppur power project and run it successfully for at least three to five years. This will help Bangladesh in acquiring operational and regulatory know-how. At the same time, concerted efforts are required to strengthen the regulatory body to bring it up to par with global standards. The South Asian country also needs to nurture fresh nuclear engineers and regulatory specialists.

Once these measures are in place, Bangladesh should then, but only then, move ahead with setting up two additional large reactors of 1,000 MW each as the third and fourth units of the Rooppur plant. Islam believes that the two units that are under construction alone will not solve Bangladesh’s energy deficit.

Also, expanding the power plant to four units will unlock economies of scale that maximise the long-term profitability of the initial $14bn investment. All four units can share the existing infrastructure like cooling systems, transmission lines and a trained workforce, which should result in a substantial reduction in per-unit costs. However, Dhaka should also be aiming to look beyond using just a single supplier to hedge geopolitical risks.

SMR’s come into the picture only in the third stage. However, this option should only be explored when the technology has matured, supply chains have been established and a robust regulatory system is in place.

Islam says that though SMRs are only the final option, Bangladesh should begin work in parallel on feasibility studies, global partnerships, technology assessment and specific workforce so that the country is ready when all the conditions are in place.

As a new generation of nuclear reactors that are much smaller than traditional nuclear plants, they are easy to build and easy to deploy. SMRs typically generate up to 300 MW of power as against 1,000 MW generated by a traditional nuclear power plant. Some of the advantages of SMRs include lower capital costs, faster construction and the theory that they can replace aging coal-based or gas-based power plants.

Once deployed, distributed SMR networks could then help to replace aging fossil fuel facilities, provide dependable electricity to remote coastal areas and deliver stable baseload power to export processing zones.

From the point of view of Bangladesh’s long-term energy requirements, there is a need to shift away from imported fossil fuels towards domestically produced clean energy. According to Islam, large nuclear reactors today and SMRs in the future must be central to the country’s energy planning.

Bangladesh will be best placed to realise the full benefits of nuclear energy by first operating Rooppur Units 1 and 2 successfully, strengthening its institutions, training technical personnel and building a robust regulatory framework. Energy security cannot be achieved overnight; it requires a deliberate, phased strategy and sustained commitment in Bangladesh, just as anywhere else.