Follow UP: Uranium for Rooppur Unit 2 Reaches Plant

The first shipment of fresh nuclear fuel, or uranium, for Unit 2 of the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant has reached the project site in Pabna under tight security. The three-lorry convoy entered the facility at 12:20pm on Saturday, October 3, following a heavily secured road journey from Dhaka.

The shipment was formally received by senior officials, including Rooppur Project Director Dr Kabir Hossain and Nuclear Power Plant Company Bangladesh Limited (NPCBL) Managing Director Dr Zayedul Hasan, according to ABM Ruhul Quddus, site office in-charge and administrative officer of the Rooppur project’s Green City site office.

A special cargo aircraft carrying the nuclear fuel from Russia landed at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka late Friday night, October 2. Confidentials Sources informed that the landing time was between approximately 11:30pm and 11:45pm.

After unloading and completing the necessary official procedures and security checks, the three-lorry convoy left the Dhaka airport at around 7:15am Saturday under special security arrangements led by the Bangladesh Army. The convoy travelled through Gazipur and Tangail, crossed the Jamuna Bridge, and continued through Bonpara in Natore and Dashuria in Pabna before reaching Rooppur.

Special security measures were imposed along the highway to ensure uninterrupted movement of the nuclear fuel convoy. Traffic was temporarily controlled at several points, with a clear passage maintained for the vehicles. Traffic resumed normally after the convoy entered the project area.

The shipment had originally been expected to arrive on September 24 but was delayed amid difficulties related to airspace clearance. Rosatom later said deliveries of nuclear fuel for Unit 2 would begin in October and continue through December 2026.

According to the planned supply schedule, nine cargo flights are expected to deliver 48 additional fuel assemblies for Unit 1 and 163 assemblies for Unit 2 by December. Seven shipments are designated for the main fuel requirement of Unit 2, while two are intended for the subsequent refueling requirements of Unit 1.

Rooppur has two VVER-1200 reactor units, each designed to generate 1,200 megawatts. Together, the two units have a total installed capacity of 2,400 megawatts. The International Atomic Energy Agency also identifies the plant as a two-unit VVER-1200 facility with a combined capacity of 2,400 megawatts.

Fuel loading has already begun at Unit 1. However, commissioning involves a series of technical tests and mandatory verification procedures before electricity can be supplied to the national grid. Project-related information indicates that work is continuing on several critical testing and commissioning stages, including safety-valve-related checks.

Bangladesh received the first uranium shipment for Unit 1 in September 2023. The IAEA identifies Rooppur as Bangladesh’s first nuclear power plant and confirms that its two VVER-1200 units are designed for a combined 2,400MW output.

The project is being implemented with technical and construction support from Russia’s state nuclear corporation Rosatom. JSC Atomstroyexport, an engineering arm of Rosatom, serves as the general contractor for the project.

Rooppur is Bangladesh’s first nuclear power plant. Once both units become operational, the facility is expected to add a combined 2,400MW of generation capacity to the national power system. The project will move towards commercial operation after the required nuclear fuel, safety, commissioning and regulatory processes are completed.

//DBTech/ECKK/SPM/MVNO//