Pabna, Oct 03 (V7N) – A fresh consignment of uranium fuel for the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant has arrived in Bangladesh from Russia, marking another step in the commissioning and refuelling programme of the country’s first nuclear power plant.
The uranium-carrying aircraft arrived at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka late Friday night after travelling from Russia via India, according to project sources. The shipment was scheduled to be transported to the Rooppur plant in Ishwardi, Pabna, under tight security.
Officials involved in the project said the uranium would be transported from Dhaka to the plant by a specially secured road convoy. The shipment is part of a wider programme under which additional fuel for Unit-1 and fuel required for the commissioning of Unit-2 will be delivered in several consignments through December.
The delivery had earlier been delayed after a cargo flight carrying the nuclear fuel could not secure permission to use Pakistani airspace. Rosatom subsequently said deliveries for Unit-2 would begin in October and continue through December 2026.
The first batch of uranium fuel for Unit-1 arrived in Bangladesh in 2023, while fuel loading into the reactor began in May this year. Additional fuel assemblies are being supplied as part of the plant's operational and commissioning requirements.
Meanwhile, commissioning work on Unit-1 has made progress following the successful completion of a 16-megapascal high-pressure test of its Pressure Operated Relief Valve (PORV) system.
Dr Md Zahedul Hasan, managing director of Nuclear Power Plant Company Bangladesh Limited, said the test was conducted from both the main control room and the emergency control room. Engineers checked the operation of the control valves and monitored the response, opening and closing, alarms and other technical parameters of the associated safety system.
The successful test is considered an important step in the commissioning process because the system is directly associated with maintaining safe pressure in the reactor's primary cooling circuit.
Plant officials said further major tests remain before Unit-1 reaches the criticality stage, the first stage of nuclear power generation. If the remaining tests are completed successfully, officials expect the plant to move toward electricity generation by the end of 2026.
The Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant has two VVER-1200 reactor units with a combined planned generation capacity of 2,400 megawatts.
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