Published : 29 Sep 2026, 12:48 AM
Updated : 29 Sep 2026, 12:48 AM
Rosatom, the Russian state nuclear corporation, has said that uranium fuel shipments for the second unit of the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant will begin arriving in Bangladesh from October.
The Russian firm released the statement on Monday after a planned nuclear fuel delivery was grounded due to the denial of airspace overflight clearance from Pakistan.
In an official statement, Rosatom affirmed that nuclear fuel deliveries for the second unit of the nuclear power plant will start in October and continue through December, concluding by the end of the year.
Despite all logistical preparations being complete, the transport aircraft carrying nuclear fuel from Russia was unable to fly after failing to secure overflight permission from Pakistan.
The shipment was originally scheduled to arrive on Sept 24 to refuel the first unit of Bangladesh's sole nuclear power station.
Kabir Hossain, director of the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant construction project, said: “The fuel for Unit 1 will need to be replaced after one year. That refers to the reload scheduled a year later.
“For that, 48 fuel assemblies were to arrive on two flights, one scheduled for [Sept 24] and another for Oct 1.”
The initial fuel load for Unit 2 was scheduled to arrive on seven weekly flights starting Oct 8, he said.
Kabir said Rosatom informed them around 9pm on Sept 23 that the flight had been postponed because it had not secured clearance from all countries on the route.
Under the revised schedule, the flights will begin on Oct 1, pushing the timeline back by a week, he added.
The project director noted that the air route for these shipments typically passes through the airspace of Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India.
While various media reports suggested the delayed shipment was intended for the second unit, Rosatom's official statement did not explicitly address the airspace clearance rejection.
Addressing the second unit's supply, Rosatom clarified that the nuclear fuel will be delivered across several flights in full compliance with contractual terms and the project timeline.
