-- Rosatom has launched fuel loading at Bangladesh's first nuclear plant, advancing the 2,400-megawatt Rooppur project toward power generation, the company said Tuesday.
The company began inserting fresh nuclear fuel into Unit 1 of Rooppur NPP, marking the first step in the commissioning phase for the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant, Rosatom said.
Rosatom's engineering division serves as the general contractor and designer for the project, overseeing construction and technical implementation, according to the company.
Operators will raise the reactor to a minimum controlled level before gradually increasing output, followed by synchronizing electricity supply to Bangladesh's grid in the next stage, Rosatom said.
The plant includes two VVER-1200 reactors with a combined capacity of 2,400 MW and sits about 160 kilometers from Dhaka under a Dec. 25, 2015, contract, the company said.
Rosatom said its VVER-1200 reactors demonstrate strong operational reliability and efficiency, and that they use an advanced Generation III+ design that meets all international nuclear safety standards.
Six such units operate globally, including four in Russia and two in Belarus, while it continues building projects in Egypt, Hungary, Turkey, and China and surveys two more units in Kazakhstan, according to the company.
Rosatom Director General Alexey Likhachev and Bangladesh Science and Technology Minister Fakir Mahbub Anam approved the process, enabling the reactor to move toward controlled operation, the company said.