Bangladesh

Fuel Loading Begins at Bangladesh’s First Nuclear Power Plant

19 September 2026 08:09 AM

NEWS DESK

Fuel loading began Tuesday at the reactor of Bangladesh’s first nuclear power plant in Rooppur, marking a major milestone as the country formally enters the operational phase of nuclear power generation.

The fuel loading process at Unit 1 of the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant in Ishwardi, Pabna, began at around 2:30pm.

Uranium fuel loading is a highly sensitive and technically complex process in which nuclear fuel is inserted into the reactor core.

Unlike conventional power plants that use coal, gas or oil, nuclear power plants use small uranium pellets as fuel. Each pellet weighs approximately 4.5 to 5 grams.

The pellets are placed inside tubes made of zirconium alloy to protect them and form what are known as fuel assemblies. These assemblies are then carefully positioned inside the reactor core. This process is known as fuel loading.

Once fuel loading is completed, the reactor can proceed toward the initial stages of a controlled nuclear fission reaction, which generates the heat needed to produce electricity.

Fuel loading is a highly automated operation carried out using a specialised fuel-loading or refuelling machine.

At Rooppur's Unit 1, the reactor vessel will be filled with water during the operation. Water provides radiation shielding and helps maintain safe operating conditions.

The refuelling machine will then place 163 fuel assemblies one by one into predetermined positions inside the reactor core. The location of each assembly is precisely specified in advance.

After the fuel assemblies are installed, engineers will conduct tests to ensure that the control rods, which regulate the nuclear reaction, are functioning properly.

The entire fuel-loading process is expected to take around 45 days.

Once all 163 fuel assemblies have been successfully loaded, the reactor will be brought to a very low, controlled power level. This stage is known as first criticality, when a controlled nuclear chain reaction begins inside the reactor.

Although fuel loading has begun, Bangladesh will have to wait several more months before electricity is generated from the first unit.

Science and Technology Ministry Secretary Md Anwar Hossain said the date for starting the fuel-loading operation was finalised after discussions with relevant officials and the Russian authorities involved in the project.

According to the current plan, trial electricity generation of around 300 megawatts could begin from Unit 1 by late July or early August, roughly three months after the start of fuel loading.

Power generation would then gradually increase, with the first unit expected to reach full generating capacity by January 2027.

The Rooppur project represents a major expansion of Bangladesh's electricity-generation infrastructure and marks the country's entry into the nuclear power era.

Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant