Loading of nuclear fuel in a new reactor is a key moment in the construction of any new nuclear power reactor. It is the first stage of the unit's key startup phase and, according to reports in the Bangladesh press, will take about 45 days to complete.
The next step will see the reactor being brought to a minimum controllable power level, with checks and tests before the level is increased in stages.
Fakir Mahbub Anam, Minister of Science and Technology, said: "The peaceful use of nuclear energy will play a key role in ensuring national energy security, accelerating industrialisation, and promoting the development of a technology-based economy. The Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant project serves as a symbol of Bangladesh's scientific progress and demonstrates the country's willingness and ability to responsibly and effectively harness advanced technologies."
Initiating fuel loading at the event (Image: Rosatom)
The first fuel being loaded (Image: Screenshot from Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission live stream)
Rosatom Director General Alexei Likhachev, said: "Today, Bangladesh joined the club of countries using peaceful nuclear energy as a reliable source of sustainable development. The Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant will undoubtedly become a vital element of the country's energy system. For Rosatom, this project is another important step in the development of global nuclear energy and in strengthening friendly relations with our international partners."
Background
In February 2011 Russia's Rosatom signed an agreement for two reactors to be built at Rooppur, about 160 kilometres from the capital Dhaka, for the Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission. The initial contract for the project, worth USD12.65 billion, was signed in December 2015. The Bangladesh Atomic Regulatory Authority issued the first site licence for the Rooppur plant in June 2016, allowing preliminary site works, including geological surveys, to begin.
Construction of the first unit began in November 2017. Construction of the second unit began in July 2018. They have an initial life-cycle of 60 years, with a further 20-year extension possible.
The first batch of nuclear fuel was delivered to the site in October 2023 - the moment that the site got its status as a nuclear facility. In March last year, Rooppur unit 1's turbine installation was completed, as were hydraulic tests to check the primary circuit systems and equipment, followed by hot functional tests. An operating licence was issued by the Bangladesh Nuclear Regulatory Authority on 16 April.
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