Rooppur Unit-2’s First Uranium Shipment Arriving Friday

Following the resolution of technical and procedural complexities surrounding airspace clearance, the shipment process of the first nuclear fuel batch for the second unit of the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant via an alternative route has officially commenced. According to sources from Nuclear Power Plant Company Bangladesh Limited (NPCBL), after the process initiated on Thursday (October 1, 2026), the first cargo flight carrying uranium is scheduled to land at Shahjalal International Airport on the afternoon of Friday, October 2. Featuring Russian 3+ generation advanced VVER-1200 thermal nuclear reactor technology, the 2,400 MW plant marks a major sci-tech milestone in strengthening national energy security.

According to Russia's state atomic energy corporation Rosatom, the complete nuclear fuel supply for the second unit will be delivered across seven cargo flights between October and December 2026.

Earlier, the delay in delivering uranium from Russia for Rooppur’s second unit triggered public debates following allegations that Pakistan had denied airspace clearance. The situation sparked discussions and social media posts across Bangladesh.

Questions arose as to why Pakistan made such a decision despite recent positive diplomatic developments between the two nations, and whether the delayed fuel supply would postpone commercial power generation at the Rooppur plant.

Against this backdrop, the Pakistani government told BBC Urdu that the decision was not political but stemmed from civil aviation technical and procedural requirements. Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Sajjad Haidar highlighted compliance with international rules and civil aviation protocols as the reasoning behind the flight clearance timeline. He affirmed that Pakistan remains committed to international diplomatic norms and processes all diplomatic flight and overflight requests within a standard timeframe according to established aviation guidelines. Haidar stated in a written response that inter-agency coordination regarding flight routes and airspace clearance can occasionally alter flight schedules.

Earlier on April 28, 2026, fuel loading was successfully completed in Unit-1, moving the facility from construction to commissioning and final readiness. Currently, internal technical testing and repairs on Unit-1's safety valves are underway. If all technical parameters pass inspection, initial experimental power generation of 300 MW to the national grid will begin by late 2026. Subsequently, Unit-1 is expected to reach its full commercial capacity of 1,200 MW in the first half of 2027, with Unit-2 scheduled for activation by late 2027.

Jointly implemented by the Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission (BAEC) and Russia's JSC Atomstroyexport (ASE), the $12.65 billion megaproject is backed by 90 percent Russian state credit. Located on the banks of the Padma River, the plant features two 1,200 MW VVER-1200 reactors. Once fully operational, the plant will bolster power reliability while reducing carbon emissions for a greener energy transformation.

Addressing earlier concerns, Science and Technology Minister Fakir Mahboob Anam confirmed that an unexpected issue in the Pilot-Operated Relief Valve (PORV) had caused a temporary delay, which Bangladeshi and Russian scientists actively worked to resolve.

Following the supply delay, Rosatom clarified in a statement that nuclear fuel shipments for Unit-2 were scheduled from October to December 2026, delivered across multiple flights in line with contract terms. The batch originally scheduled for September will now arrive in phases through December.

This development unfolded amid a national power supply gap caused by reduced LNG imports and unpaid bills affecting private power plants. While experts estimate commercial output from Unit-2 may not occur before mid-2027 following testing, project officials remain optimistic as technical hurdles begin to clear.

//DBTech/DFRN/SMP/IH//