Additional uranium fuel for the first unit of the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant reached the project site today under tight security provided by the Army, Special Response Battalion (SRB) and police.
The convoy carrying the fuel arrived at the Rooppur project at around 12:20pm after travelling by road from Dhaka through Dashuria Mor in Ishwardi.
Project sources confirmed the arrival.
The fuel had reached Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka at 11:44pm on Friday, where officials of the Bangladesh Atomic Energy Regulatory Authority received the shipment. Transportation to Rooppur began later that night under Army security.
Sources said three trucks carrying the uranium left the airport after 7am today and travelled towards Rooppur via the Jamuna Bridge. Security was tightened in Ishwardi and Rooppur ahead of the shipment's arrival.
Project sources said 48 additional uranium fuel assemblies for the first unit and 163 for the second unit are expected to arrive in Bangladesh on nine flights during November-December.
Earlier, fuel brought for the first unit in 2023 was loaded into the reactor in May this year.
Dr Zaedul Hasan, managing director of Nuclear Power Plant Company Bangladesh Limited, said testing of the first unit's 16-megapascal high-pressure pressure-operated relief valve had been completed successfully.
During the test, the functionality of the control valves was verified, followed by checks of the main safety valve's response, opening and closing operations, alarms and related process parameters, he said.
Ishwardi Circle Additional Superintendent of Police Pranab Kumar said the uranium shipment reached Rooppur safely under strict security provided by the Army, SRB and police.
If preparations proceed as planned, the first unit is expected to supply 300 megawatts, or around 30 percent of the plant's total electricity generation capacity, to the national grid during November-December.
