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A cargo aircraft carrying nuclear fuel for Unit-2 of the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant failed to arrive in Bangladesh as scheduled, despite preparations at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport to receive the shipment.
The aircraft was scheduled to arrive in Dhaka from Russia on Thursday, September 24. Officials from the Ministry of Science and Technology said all necessary arrangements had been completed at the airport to receive the shipment.
After the aircraft failed to arrive, officials contacted Rosatom’s liaison officer associated with the Rooppur project. They were reportedly informed that the aircraft had not obtained the required clearance to use Bangladesh’s airspace.
It was not immediately clear why the necessary airspace clearance had not been secured.
Attempts to contact a Rosatom representative for clarification went unanswered by the time of publication. It also remained unclear whether Rosatom had formally notified the Bangladesh authorities of the reason for the delay.
The missed shipment has put the next stage of fuel delivery for Unit-2 under renewed attention. No new public schedule has yet been announced for the aircraft’s arrival or the subsequent transportation of the fuel to the Rooppur site.
The Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant is being built with two VVER-1200 reactor units, each with a generation capacity of 1,200 megawatts, giving the plant a total installed capacity of 2,400MW.
According to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), both units use VVER-1200 technology. Construction of Unit-2 began with the pouring of first concrete in July 2018.
The first-core fuel for Unit-1 was delivered from Russia in 2023, comprising 168 fuel assemblies containing approximately 79 tonnes of uranium. A similar advance delivery of first-core fuel is expected for Unit-2 as part of the commissioning process.
Fuel loading for Unit-1 began on April 28, 2026. The IAEA currently lists 2026 and 2027 as the target years for commercial operation of Units 1 and 2 respectively.
The nuclear fuel for Unit-1 was transported from Russia to Dhaka by a dedicated cargo aircraft and then moved under tight security to the Rooppur project site in Ishwardi, Pabna.
With the scheduled Unit-2 shipment failing to arrive, the next delivery date and the required airspace clearance have emerged as key factors in determining when the fuel can reach Bangladesh.
