OUR CORRESPONDENT, Pabna

The nuclear fuel loading at unit-1 of the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant (RNPP) has been successfully completed.

Rosatom, the main contractor of the plant, confirmed the development via an official press release last night.

According to the statement, 163 fuel assemblies were loaded into the reactor core of unit-1. This is considered one of the most critical stages before the unit begins generating electricity.

​The fuel loading process officially began on April 28 and was completed within two weeks.

​Alexey Deriy, vice president of Atomstroyexport (the construction authority for RNPP and a subsidiery of Rosatom), said the work was carried out in full compliance with the initial core loading programme, operational regulations, and international nuclear safety standards.

​“The next stage includes the installation of the upper reactor unit and the integration of all required in-core instrumentation systems,” Deriy said. “Hundreds of additional tests will then be conducted to ensure the reliable and safe operation of all process systems.”

​According to Deriy, the reactor will soon be brought to its minimum controllable power level, followed by a gradual increase in capacity. These procedures will pave the way for the power startup and trial commercial operation of unit-1.

Soikat Ahmed, the media focal point officer for the plant, noted that while the loading process was originally expected to take one month, its early completion has accelerated the timeline. “If everything proceeds as planned, we expect to generate electricity from the unit by late July or early August.”

​The plant, Bangladesh’s first nuclear facility, is being built with Russian technical and financial assistance. The project features two VVER-1200 reactors with a combined capacity of 2,400MW.