Dhaka: Bangladesh entered the nuclear power era on Tuesday as its Ruppur nuclear power plant started loading fuel in its VVER-1200 reactor, the latest Russian Generation III+ pressurized water reactor technology, which India is also considering for its future nuclear power projects, including a new unit at Kudankulam. Fuel loading for the plant’s first unit has been completed at Pabna, about 160 kilometers from the capital Dhaka. The 2.4 GW nuclear power plant (two 1,200 MW units) was built by Russian state-owned nuclear company Rosatom and is designed to provide 10-12% of the country’s electricity. The first unit will be officially and legally transferred to Bangladesh for operation before the end of 2026. Minister of Science and Technology Fakir Mabu Anan said that the Ruppur Nuclear Power Plant will play a vital role in ensuring national energy security, accelerating industrialization and promoting technology-driven economic growth. The project costs approximately US$13 billion, 90% of which is provided by Russian state loans. The loading phase is the first stage of the unit commissioning phase and will subsequently bring the reactor to a stable, controllable power level. Officials said power generation will start at a lower level and full capacity is not expected until 2027. In India, the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant has had two Russian VVER 1000 pressurized water reactors in commercial operation since 2014, and will build two more units, of which 7 and 8 are equipped with larger VVER-1200 reactors and are planned to be used in the fourth phase of the nuclear power plant. Last year, Rosatom said it was preparing technical specifications for the construction of a new Russian-designed nuclear power plant in India using VVER-1200 reactor units.
