News Update: Rooppur gets approval for first nuclear reaction

Marking a historic technological leap toward commissioning its maiden atomic facility, Bangladesh has moved to the final threshold of nuclear electricity generation as Unit-1 of the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant achieved its milestone "First Criticality." Controlled chain reaction physics testing has concluded successfully, prompting regulatory authorities to officially clear the critical "B2" authorization.

According to authoritative technical sources at Nuclear Power Plant Company Bangladesh Limited (NPCBL) on Thursday evening (October 8, 2026), the formal issuance of the B2 permit validates the successful completion of foundational reactor physics tests. In nuclear engineering parameters, achieving first criticality indicates that the reactor core has sustained a stable, controlled fission chain reaction for the first time, effectively transitioning the VVER-1200 reactor from an assembled physical structure into a live, operational nuclear facility.

Following technical tracking milestones, fresh uranium fuel assemblies were previously loaded into the Unit-1 core, succeeded by cold and hot operational runs. During the latest testing phase, domestic engineers alongside Russian atomic specialists conducted complex baseline physics assays to analyze neutron fluxes, control rod calibrations, and thermal dynamics. The test outputs fully conformed to the rigorous radiation safety metrics specified by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the Bangladesh Atomic Energy Regulatory Authority (BAERA), securing the formal issuance of the B2 regulatory clearance.

Nuclear scientists confirm that establishing sustainable chain reactions and obtaining the B2 operational certificate represents the most technically demanding phase of nuclear commissioning. With this operational milestone certified, project engineers will proceed to raise thermal reactor capacity in graded steps, linking secondary cooling steam lines to the turbine generators to initiate test electricity output and subsequent national grid synchronization.

Constructed in Ishwardi, Pabna, by Russian state nuclear corporation Rosatom, the Rooppur facility houses two Gen III+ VVER-1200 reactors incorporating five-layer passive and active containment defense-in-depth safety mechanisms. With physics validations certified and the B2 permit secured, Bangladesh is entering the final operational countdown to join the elite roster of global nations feeding nuclear power into the national electrical grid.