Rooppur Uranium Flight Fails to Reach Bangladesh

A cargo aircraft carrying nuclear fuel for Unit-2 of the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant did not arrive in Bangladesh as scheduled, despite preparations being completed at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport to receive the shipment.

The aircraft was scheduled to arrive in Dhaka from Russia on Thursday, September 24. Several officials of the Ministry of Science and Technology confirmed that 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 airspace clearance for the aircraft had not been obtained. No detailed explanation was available on why permission to use Bangladesh’s airspace had not been secured.

Attempts were also made to contact a Rosatom representative for clarification, but no response had been received by the time of publication. It also remained unclear whether Rosatom had formally communicated the reason to the Bangladesh authorities.

The missed shipment has now put the next stage of Unit-2 fuel delivery under renewed attention. No new public schedule has yet been announced for the aircraft’s arrival or for the subsequent transportation of the fuel.

Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant is being built with two VVER-1200 reactor units. Each unit has a capacity of 1,200 megawatts, giving the plant a total installed capacity of 2,400 megawatts. According to the International Atomic Energy Agency, both units use VVER-1200 technology, while construction of Unit-2 began with first concrete in July 2018.

According to IAEA data, the first core fuel for Rooppur Unit-1 was delivered from Russia in 2023, comprising 168 fuel assemblies and approximately 79 tonnes of uranium. Similar advance delivery of first-core fuel is expected to accompany the commissioning of Unit-2.

Fuel loading for Unit-1 began on April 28, 2026. The IAEA currently lists 2026 and 2027 as the targeted commercial-operation years for Units 1 and 2 respectively.

The first unit’s nuclear fuel was previously 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 become key factors for determining when the fuel shipment can reach Bangladesh.

//DBTech/SME/MIT/CPM//