Rosatom has completed the first shipment of nuclear fuel for the initial
loading of the VVER‑1200 reactor at Unit 2 of the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant
in Bangladesh (the general contractor and general designer being the
Engineering Division of State Atomic Energy Corporation Rosatom). The fuel
assemblies manufactured by the Novosibirsk Chemical Concentrates Plant (NCCP,
an enterprise of Rosatom’s Fuel Division), have been transported via a
dedicated cargo flight.
Earlier, in autumn 2026, fresh nuclear fuel was shipped from Siberia to Bangladesh to enable the first-ever refueling at Unit 1 (it will be carried out after the reactor has completed its first annual fuel cycle.).
Upon arrival at the NPP site, the containers holding the fuel assemblies
were placed in a dedicated storage facility for fresh nuclear fuel. All items undergo
mandatory incoming inspection, which includes both visual and instrumental
checks to confirm compliance with the requirements set out in the technical
documentation. The incoming inspection is conducted by a joint commission
comprising specialists from the Bangladeshi customer, the general contractor,
and the manufacturer, in strict accordance with nuclear and radiation safety
regulations.
In 2026, Rosatom’s Engineering Division completed loading of nuclear fuel, manufactured by NCCP, into the VVER 1200 reactor core at Unit 1. In October 2026, the reactor reached the minimum controlled power level. Engineers will now progressively increase the reactor’s power output to nominal levels. These operations precede the unit’s grid connection and subsequent pilot commercial operation.
The Rooppur NPP features two VVER 1200 reactors with a combined capacity of
2,400 MW. The plant is being built 160 km from Dhaka, the capital of
Bangladesh, under a Russian design and in accordance with the main contract
signed on 25 December 2015. Bangladesh’s first nuclear power plant relies on
Rosatom’s flagship VVER 1200 reactors—a Generation III+ evolutionary design
that fully meets international safety standards. These reactors have
demonstrated proven reliability and efficiency at reference units. Six VVER
1200 based units are currently in operation: four in Russia and two in the
Republic of Belarus. Active construction of nuclear power plants using Russian technology is
underway in Egypt, Hungary, Turkey, and China. In Kazakhstan, site
investigation works are ongoing for a two unit VVER 1200 project.
Rosatom's Fuel Division (managed by TVEL JSC) comprises enterprises for nuclear fuel fabrication, uranium conversion and enrichment, gas centrifuge manufacturing, as well as research and engineering organizations. As the sole supplier of nuclear fuel for Russian NPPs, TVEL supplies fuel to a total of over 70 power reactors in 15 countries, research reactors in nine countries worldwide, and transport reactors of the Russian nuclear fleet. One in six power reactors globally operates on TVEL fuel. The Fuel Division is the world's largest producer of enriched uranium and a leader in the global stable isotopes market. The Division is also actively developing new businesses in chemistry, metallurgy, energy storage technologies, 3D printing, digital products, and nuclear decommissioning. Sectoral integrators for additive technologies and energy storage systems have been established within its scope.
The Engineering Division of Rosatom comprises the leading companies of the nuclear industry: Atomstroyexport JSC (Moscow, Nizhny Novgorod, branches in Russia and abroad), the Joint Design Institute – Atomenergoproekt JSC (Moscow, Nizhny Novgorod, St. Petersburg branches – design institutes, branches in Russia and abroad, survey branches), and subsidiary construction organizations. The engineering division has the world's largest nuclear new build portfolio with the biggest number of simultaneously constructed nuclear power plants in different countries. About 80% of the division's revenue comes from non-Russian projects. The engineering division builds large nuclear power plants in Russia and abroad, provides the full range of EPC, EP, EPC(M) services, including project management and design, and develops Multi-D technologies for managing complex engineering facilities. The division relies on the achievements of the Russian nuclear industry and state-of-the-art innovative technologies. www.ase-ec.ru
