A delayed shipment of nuclear fuel for the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant arrived in Dhaka late Friday night aboard a special Russian Ilyushin Il-76 cargo aircraft.
Bangladesh Atomic Energy Regulatory Authority (BAERA) Chairman Mahmudul Hasan confirmed that the flight landed at approximately 11:45 PM on Friday. The shipment originally scheduled to arrive on September 24 was delayed after Pakistan initially withheld airspace clearance due to procedural issues.
The uranium consignment will be transported under tight security to the plant site in Ishurdi, Pabna to refuel Unit-1 of the country's sole nuclear power facility. Russian state nuclear corporation Rosatom stated that additional fuel deliveries for Unit-2 will proceed in phases through December 2026.
Concurrently, officials reported significant progress in commissioning Unit-1. Engineers successfully completed a 16 MPa high-pressure safety test on the reactor's pressure operated relief valve (PORV) from both the main and emergency control rooms.
A senior official from the Nuclear Power Plant Company of Bangladesh Limited (NPCBL) confirmed that all control valves, alarms and radiation safety protocols functioned satisfactorily during the test.
"Safety remains our highest priority throughout commissioning" the official noted also adding that testing will proceed to the next phase at 18 MPa pressure after careful verification.
