Dhaka, Mar 15 (V7N) — Bangladesh’s first nuclear power plant, Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant, is expected to begin fuel loading for Unit-1 on April 7, officials said, marking a key step toward generating electricity from the facility by mid-2026.

High-ranking officials from the Ministry of Science and Technology said the Russian contractor overseeing the project has formally informed the government of the April 7 schedule. Preparatory work for Unit-1 is expected to be completed by March 27, after which the government will officially commission the plant.

Science and Technology Secretary Anwar Hossain told media on Saturday, “The Russian contractor officially informed the government last week that fuel loading for Unit-1 will begin on April 7. If everything proceeds according to plan, we expect to start generating electricity by July and supply at least 300 megawatts to the national grid. By December, Unit-1 is projected to reach its full capacity of 1,200 megawatts.”

Secretary Hossain added that all testing, inspections, and preparatory work would be completed by March 27. Upon completion, Unit-1 will receive its commissioning license for fuel loading.

Earlier, on March 8, Science and Technology Minister Fakir Mahbub Anam and Prime Minister’s Adviser Rehan Asif Asad led a team of ministry officials to inspect the Rooppur project site. They reviewed progress and expressed satisfaction with the work.

Minister Fakir Mahbub Anam instructed project authorities to adhere strictly to international safety protocols and expedite the remaining tasks. He emphasized that the Rooppur plant would play a critical role in Bangladesh’s energy security and significantly enhance the country’s electricity generation capacity.

Project and Nuclear Power Company Bangladesh Limited (NPCBL) officials confirmed that work on Unit-1 is ongoing around the clock. NPCBL Managing Director Dr. Jahedul Hasan stated, “We have completed nearly 2,000 tests. Based on these, inspections are ongoing, and 1,650 inspections have been completed so far. We expect to finish the remaining work within two weeks.”

He noted that minor issues were found during inspections but no major problems, and any minor issues are being resolved promptly. The Bangladesh Atomic Energy Regulatory Authority (BAERA) oversees the inspection process, ensuring international safety standards before issuing the commissioning license.

Secretary Anwar Hossain reiterated, “If all goes according to plan, by July we can add 30 percent of Unit-1’s capacity to the national grid, and by December, it will reach the full 1,200 megawatts.”

Unit-2 is scheduled to come online one year later. By December 2027, both units are expected to generate a combined total of 2,400 megawatts. Currently, Unit-1 is in the final commissioning phase, and work on Unit-2 is more than 70 percent complete.

The $12.65 billion project, which began construction in 2017 and features two VVER-1200 model reactors, has already incurred 81 percent of the total cost. The commissioning of the project was originally planned for 2022 but has been delayed by three years. Last year, Bangladesh and Russia agreed to extend the deadline to 2027 to complete both units.

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