Bangladesh began fuel loading at Unit 1 of the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant on 28 April 2026 at Ishwardi in Pabna. The plant is Bangladesh’s first nuclear power station and is designed to use two VVER-1200 pressurised water reactor units.
Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant
Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant is located on the banks of the Padma River in Ishwardi Upazila, Pabna District. The project has two reactor units with a combined installed capacity of 2,400 megawatts. Rosatom, the state nuclear corporation of Russia, is the general contractor and technology provider for the project. The project cost is about US$12.6 billion to US$13 billion, and around 90% of the financing comes from a Russian state loan.
Fuel Loading and Reactor Commissioning
Fuel loading at Unit 1 involves 163 nuclear fuel assemblies. The process is expected to take about 45 days, after which the reactor will be taken to minimum controllable power for further testing. Initial electricity generation of about 300 megawatts is expected by late July or early August 2026. Unit 1 is projected to reach its full capacity of 1,200 megawatts by late 2026 or early 2027.
Regulatory Clearance
The Bangladesh Nuclear Regulatory Authority issued the operating licence for fuel loading on 16 April 2026. The licence was granted after regulatory review of the first unit. Bangladesh is the 33rd country in the world to produce nuclear power. The country entered the group of states using peaceful nuclear energy with the start of fuel loading at Rooppur.
Last Modified: April 29, 2026