Dhaka, April 28 (ANI) — Fuel loading has officially begun at the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant in Ishwardi Upazila, a major milestone in commissioning the facility. The process for Unit‑1 started on April 28 and is being carried out in phases under International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) guidelines. Officials say at least 300 megawatts from Rooppur could be added to Bangladesh’s national grid by August. If that generation comes online as planned, Bangladesh would join India and Pakistan as the third South Asian country producing nuclear power. Built with Russian financial and technical support and valued at more than USD 12 billion, the Rooppur complex will bring electricity online in stages across multiple units. When fully completed, the plant on the Padma River will have a combined capacity of 2,400 megawatts. Earlier this month the government signalled that it aims to start connecting nuclear power to the national grid within the year as it seeks to ease an energy crunch linked to the situation in West Asia; officials expect at least one Rooppur unit to begin supplying electricity this year to strengthen energy security. On April 16, Mahmudul Hasan, chairman of the Bangladesh Atomic Energy Regulatory Authority (BAERA), handed the commissioning licence and personnel authorisations for Unit‑1 to M. Moinul Islam, chairman of the Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission. The start of fuel loading for Unit‑1 is being described as a landmark for the country’s power sector. An official inauguration of fuel loading was expected in the last week of April. According to the project schedule, electricity from the first unit should reach the national grid roughly three months after fuel loading begins, with phased testing and capacity increases targeting full-capacity transmission by December. This article is sourced from a syndicated feed and published as received.
