Sixth uranium consignment reaches Rooppur, first unit's 300 MW may join grid this month

The sixth consignment of nuclear fuel, 'fresh nuclear fuel' or uranium, brought from Russia for the second unit of the under-construction Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant at Pakshi in Ishwardi upazila of Pabna, has reached the project area under a tight security cordon. On Saturday (November 14) at 6:05am, the fuel-carrying convoy entered the Rooppur project in three special lorries under the direct supervision and security of the Bangladesh Army.

After passing the Dashuria traffic intersection, the connecting point of the northern and southern regions, via the Natore-Kushtia-Pabna highway, the vehicles reached the project area, where Russian experts working there and officials concerned welcomed the convoy.

Earlier, at around 1am on Friday night, the convoy had started its journey from the capital Dhaka toward Rooppur amid tight security arrangements. Alongside the army, members of the specialised force SRB, police and various intelligence agencies ensured special security along the route.

To keep the transport of this sensitive nuclear fuel smooth, all types of vehicle movement on the Pabna-Natore-Kushtia highway was temporarily stopped from 4:45am to 6:15am.

Ishwardi police station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Ashadur Rahman Asad confirmed the information to a media outlet and said a special security cordon had been built on the road so that the convoy could reach its destination safely without traffic congestion, and vehicle movement was normalised as soon as the uranium reached the plant.

With the addition of this new consignment, a total of six fuel consignments have now reached the project area, including one additional consignment for the first unit of the Rooppur project and five for the second unit.

According to the outline of Russia's state nuclear agency Rosatom, fuel is to be supplied in a total of nine consignments, including 163 assemblies in seven cargo planes for the second unit and a further 48 assemblies in two planes for refuelling the first unit.

At present, the extremely important 'Power Startup Stage-C' activity is being conducted at the first unit with VVER-1200 technology, which was approved on October 29 by the Bangladesh Atomic Energy Regulatory Authority (BAERA).

At this stage, after gradually increasing the reactor's power and testing the equipment and safety systems, the plant will be connected to the national grid, which in engineering language is called 'synchronisation'.

If everything remains favourable, there are preparations to add about 300 megawatts of electricity experimentally from the first unit to the national grid this month itself.