On April 28, Bangladesh began refueling uranium fuel for its first nuclear power plant, marking an important step to put this facility into operation to reduce pressure on the national power system.
Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant has a capacity of 2,400 MW, expected to meet up to 10% of the electricity demand of the South Asian nation with about 170 million people. The 11 billion USD project was started in 2017.
Mr. Saikat Ahmed - senior scientific information officer of the plant - said that after completing fuel loading, a controlled nuclear fission reaction will be launched in the reactor core, marking the initial physical operation stage.
According to the plan, the plant may start generating electricity at about 300MW before reaching full capacity by the end of 2027. Minister of Science and Technology Fakir Mahbub Anam expects the first source of electricity to be connected to the grid at a similar level in the early stages.
Bangladesh's power system is often under great pressure in the summer as demand for air conditioning increases. This situation becomes more serious due to the energy crisis related to the Middle East conflict, affecting oil and gas supplies.
Bangladesh currently imports about 95% of oil and gas, mostly from the Middle East, in the context of disrupted transportation through the Strait of Hormuz.
Mr. Shafiqul Islam - professor of nuclear engineering at the University of Dhaka - said that the fuel filling and test operation process is a complex stage, requiring strict safety and security assessment before reaching comprehensive production.
