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The Bangladesh Atomic Energy Regulatory Authority (BAERA) has approved fuel (uranium) loading for the first unit of the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant, marking a key milestone for the project.
If all goes as planned, the inauguration of the fuel loading process may take place by the end of April, BAERA Chairman Mahmudul Hasan said on Thursday, bdnews24.com reports.
He said an initial plan to launch the process on Apr 7 had been postponed due to technical and safety-related issues.
“The decision to proceed with fuel loading has been taken after ensuring all safety requirements,” he said.
Zahedul Hassan, managing director of the state-owned Nuclear Power Plant Company Bangladesh Limited (NPCBL), said all necessary approvals, including those related to fire safety, have been secured.
He added that preparations for the physical startup, including fuel loading, have been completed in line with safety, security and international safeguard protocols.
Electricity generation from the first unit may begin on a trial basis by December, with power to be supplied to the national grid, he said.
The fuel loading was originally scheduled to be inaugurated on Apr 7 in a virtual event involving Prime Minister Tarique Rahman and Russian President Vladimir Putin.