Russia's State Atomic Energy Corporation Rosatom has pledged to ensure the earliest possible experimental connection of electricity from the first unit of Bangladesh's Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant to the national grid.

The commitment was made by Rosatom Director General Alexey Likhachev during a high-level bilateral meeting with Bangladesh's Science and Technology Minister Faqir Mahbub Anam in Moscow, Russia, yesterday, a press release said.

The meeting discussed in detail the overall progress of Bangladesh's first nuclear power project, the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant, and the timeline for electricity generation from its first unit.

During the bilateral meeting, Alexey Likhachev said experimental grid connection from the plant's first unit, equipped with a VVER-1200 reactor, could be ensured at the earliest possible time.

The Rosatom director general further said the project would play a highly important role in ensuring Bangladesh's energy security and supplying environmentally friendly and affordable energy.

At the meeting, Science and Technology Minister Faqir Mahbub Anam said the power plant, with a total capacity of 2,400 megawatts, would meet around 11 percent of the country's total electricity demand.

Rosatom Director General also said commissioning and initial start-up activities for the second unit would begin next year.

The meeting also featured positive discussions on further expanding the nuclear energy sector in the future and strengthening bilateral cooperation by drawing on the success and experience of the Rooppur project.