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The first shipment of fresh nuclear fuel, or uranium, for Unit 2 of the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant reached the project site in Pabna on Saturday under tight security, marking the start of fuel deliveries for the second reactor.
A convoy of three lorries carrying the nuclear fuel entered the Rooppur facility at about 12:20pm after travelling from Dhaka under special security arrangements.
The shipment was received by senior project officials, including Rooppur Project Director Dr Kabir Hossain and Nuclear Power Plant Company Bangladesh Limited (NPCBL) Managing Director Dr Zayedul Hasan, ABM Ruhul Quddus, site office in-charge and administrative officer of the project’s Green City site office, told reporters.
A special cargo aircraft carrying the fuel from Russia landed at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka late Friday night. Sources said the aircraft arrived between about 11:30pm and 11:45pm.
After the fuel was unloaded and necessary official procedures and security checks were completed, the three-lorry convoy left the airport at around 7:15am Saturday under security arrangements led by the Bangladesh Army.
The convoy travelled through Gazipur and Tangail, crossed the Jamuna Bridge and continued via Bonpara in Natore and Dashuria in Pabna before reaching the Rooppur project site.
Special security measures were imposed along the route to ensure the convoy could move without interruption. Traffic was temporarily controlled at several points to provide a clear passage for the vehicles and returned to normal after the convoy entered the project area.
The shipment was originally scheduled to arrive on September 24 but was delayed due to difficulties related to airspace clearance. Russia’s state nuclear corporation Rosatom later said fuel deliveries for Unit 2 would begin in October and continue through December 2026.
Under the planned delivery schedule, nine cargo flights are expected to transport 48 additional fuel assemblies for Unit 1 and 163 assemblies for Unit 2 by December.
Seven of the shipments are designated for the main fuel requirement of Unit 2, while two will carry fuel for the subsequent refuelling requirements of Unit 1.
Rooppur has two VVER-1200 reactor units, each with a designed capacity of 1,200 megawatts, giving the plant a combined capacity of 2,400MW.
Fuel loading has already begun at Unit 1. However, the reactor must undergo a series of technical tests, safety checks and regulatory verification procedures before electricity can be supplied to the national grid. Work is continuing on several critical testing and commissioning activities, including checks related to safety valves.
Bangladesh received its first uranium shipment for Unit 1 in September 2023.
The International Atomic Energy Agency identifies Rooppur as Bangladesh’s first nuclear power plant and confirms that its two VVER-1200 units have a combined designed capacity of 2,400MW.
The project is being implemented with technical and construction support from Russia’s Rosatom. Its engineering arm, JSC Atomstroyexport, is serving as the general contractor.
Once both reactors enter commercial operation, Rooppur is expected to add 2,400MW of generation capacity to Bangladesh’s national power system. Commercial operation will begin after completion of the required fuel loading, safety, testing, commissioning and regulatory processes.