Bangladesh is set to become the 33rd country in the world to use nuclear fuel as it receives radioactive fuel for the Rooppur power plant. Bangladesh’s Prime Minister and Russia’s President are expected to participate virtually. The Director-General of Rosatom will officially hand over the fuel. The International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA) Director-General, Rafael Mariano Grossi, will also join the event via video conference.
The RNPP, with two units capable of producing 1200 MW of electricity each, is being constructed by Rosatom. The first unit’s nuclear reactor was loaded in October 2021, while the second unit’s reactor was installed in October 2022. The RNPP project began in 2009, and agreements and contracts with Russia have been signed over the years, covering the majority of the project’s costs. It is anticipated that the first unit will be operational by September next year and is expected to contribute approximately 2.0% to the country’s GDP. However, challenges related to power transmission readiness remain.