Fuel loading at Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant’s first unit will begin on Tuesday, marking milestone in Bangladesh’s move toward carbon‑free power generation.
Project officials said electricity from the plant is expected to be supplied to the national grid on a trial basis by late July or early August, following completion of all required tests.
They added that power generation from the first unit will start around 300MW, with output projected to rise by 10–15% each month.
It may take eight to ten months after physical start‑up for the unit to reach its full capacity of 1,200MW, according to the officials.
Md Anwar Hossain, secretary of the Ministry of Science and Technology, told reporters after a meeting on 23 April that the authorities had finalised 28 April for the fuel‑loading ceremony.
Once fuel loading begins, the plant will undergo a series of tests before electricity production starts.
The move follows the issuance of a commissioning licence for the first unit by the Bangladesh Atomic Energy Regulatory Authority on 16 April.
Bangladesh Atomic Energy Regulatory Authority (BAERA) Chairman Mahmudul Hasan earlier said delays were caused by technical issues, which have now been resolved, paving the way for fuel loading.
Managing Director of the state-owned Nuclear Power Plant Company Bangladesh Limited (NPCBL) Zahedul Hassan said 52 local experts have obtained licences to operate the plant after successfully passing written, oral, and simulation examinations. They will jointly operate the facility with Russian specialists.
Following fuel loading, several phases of testing will be conducted before preparing a final safety analysis report.
Trial electricity generation is expected within three months, with output increasing by 10-15 percent monthly.
Achieving full capacity of 1,200 megawatts from the first unit may take 8 to 10 months after physical startup. Preparations are also underway to begin fuel loading for the second unit later this year.
During a previous meeting, officials presented key information on the plant’s safety measures, environmental impact, technical features, and its broader socio-economic significance in simple and accessible terms. Local residents actively took part in the discussion.
The $12.65 billion project, built with Russian financial and technical support on the banks of the Padma River in Pabna’s Ishwardi, uses two VVER-1200 reactors. Once fully operational, the plant will generate 2,400 megawatts of electricity, meeting more than 10 percent of Bangladesh’s total power demand.
