First controlled fission reaction begins at Rooppur

Marking an unprecedented leap in national energy infrastructure and atomic engineering capabilities, Bangladesh has achieved sustained nuclear fission at its flagship mega-project. On Sunday, 11 October 2026, the first reactor unit of the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant in Ishwardi, Pabna, initiated a controlled nuclear fission reaction, reaching "First Criticality." Authoritative sources operating under the Ministry of Science and Technology confirmed that the nation has officially crossed into the domain of operational nuclear-capable states managing controlled atomic fission for commercial power.

The operational milestone follows the formal issuance of the "B-2" sub-stage regulatory license on 08 October by the Bangladesh Atomic Energy Regulatory Authority (BAERA). Harnessing advanced Russian Generation III+ VVER-1200 reactor architecture, operating engineers initiated neutron bombardment on enriched Uranium-235 fuel assemblies to establish a self-sustaining chain reaction. During this initial thermal baseline test, the core is functioning at less than 1 percent of its nominal thermal capacity to permit meticulous verification of instrumentation and control channels.

The generation cycle converts atomic fission energy into grid electricity via a closed-loop thermodynamic process. Intense thermal output generated inside the reactor pressure vessel heats primary coolant loops to produce high-pressure steam within secondary heat exchangers. The velocity of this dry steam drives heavy turbine blades coupled to core electric generators, converting rotational mechanical energy into high-voltage electrical current. Adhering to multi-tier atomic safety covenants, the power start-up protocol dictates that thermal output will be gradually ramped up to 37 percent capacity, after which electric generation will incrementally scale between 3 percent and 20 to 30 percent before national grid synchronization.

Technical briefs compiled by plant engineers and specialists from Russia’s State Atomic Energy Corporation, Rosatom, indicate that reactor safety parameters, control-rod telemetry, and coolant dynamics will undergo continuous diagnostic monitoring over the subsequent 30 to 40 days. Pending conclusive test validations and final regulatory clearance from BAERA, trial power transmission into the national grid is targeted for late November or December 2026.

Initial grid synchronizations during the trial phase will dispatch approximately 300 MW of power. Following seven to eight months of systematic transient loading, thermal compliance validations, and network stabilization procedures, Unit-1 is scheduled to transition to its full commercial capacity of 1,200 MW by mid-to-late 2027, official sources confirmed. //DBTech/DFNPL/SMP/MIST//