Bangladesh has begun loading uranium fuel into the reactor core of Unit 1 at the Rooppur nuclear power plant — the largest infrastructure project in the country’s history. With this step, Dhaka has officially joined the ranks of nuclear energy-producing nations, becoming the third state in South Asia after India and Pakistan, and the 33rd worldwide.
The plant is located in Ishwardi, roughly 160 km northwest of the capital, on the banks of the Padma River. It comprises two VVER-1200 reactors, each rated at 1,200 MW, designed and built by Atomstroyexport, a subsidiary of Rosatom. At full capacity, the plant will feed 2,400 MW into the national grid, meeting between 9 and 12 percent of the country’s electricity demand. Loading the 163 fuel assemblies into the core is expected to take fewer than 45 days; the reactor will then be brought up to temperature gradually, with power raised in stages — 3, 5, 10, 20, and 30 percent — before electricity is fed into the grid. Unit 2 is expected to follow by end of 2027.
The $12.65 billion project is 90% financed by a Russian export credit. Moscow covered the vast majority of costs through an $11.38 billion concessional loan. Timelines have slipped from the original contract: Unit 1 was initially due in October 2023, then pushed back to 2026. The reasons are well known — the pandemic, the war in Ukraine, and international payment difficulties following sanctions on Russia. Bangladesh also settled part of its debt in Chinese yuan, sidestepping blockages on dollar transfers. Despite these hurdles, cold hydraulic tests were completed in March 2025, the turbine has been installed, and the transmission network is operational with five new high-voltage lines running to Bogura, Gopalganj, and Baghabari.
The move into nuclear power addresses a structural need. Electricity demand is growing at around 7% per year, and the country still relies on natural gas, oil, and coal for more than 60% of its generation. Rooppur will provide stable baseload power, insulated from the volatility of fossil fuel markets. The expected cost of nuclear electricity — estimated at around $57 per MWh in government projections — should come in below that of coal. Transmission lines are ready to receive the power. 56 licensed Bangladeshi engineers will work alongside Russian technicians, with more than 1,100 local workers already on site.
The government’s ambitions extend beyond Rooppur. Authorities are exploring small modular reactors (SMRs) as a long-term option, with preliminary talks underway with several international vendors. The rationale is to diversify generation sources and spread capacity across the country, reducing energy concentration in a single geographic area. The road ahead is long: the Bangladesh Atomic Energy Regulatory Authority is still young, and operational experience on plants of this scale takes years to build. But fuel loading at Rooppur marks a point of no return. Bangladesh has chosen nuclear power as a cornerstone of its energy security — and is now backing that choice with action.
