The State Atomic Energy Corporation "Rosatom" has launched the first nuclear power plant in Bangladesh – "Rooppur". Fresh nuclear fuel loading has begun at the first power unit. This was reported by the corporation's press service.
163 fuel assemblies (combining fuel rods with nuclear fuel) will be loaded into the reactor core. Then the reactor will be brought to a minimally controlled power level.
Specialists will gradually increase the power to achieve an energy start-up. And then the electricity generated at the NPP will begin to flow into the country's energy grid.
Rosatom CEO Alexey Likhachev stated that Bangladesh has officially joined the club of states using peaceful atom for sustainable development. The construction of the Rooppur NPP is an important step in global nuclear energy, he emphasized.
According to the project, the plant will operate 2 VVER-1200 generation III+ reactors. Their total capacity is 2400 MW. After the launch of the second power unit, the NPP will be able to provide 10% of Bangladesh's electricity needs.
