goingcritical:rooppur-1Bangladesh · Power reactor
Rooppur-1
Status: Fuel loaded target criticality 2026 (confidence: medium) Reactor status full glossary → Announced Publicly announced — a site and design are proposed, but construction has not begun. Site preparation Early site and civil works are under way; the first safety-related ("nuclear") concrete has not yet been poured. Under construction Formal construction has begun, marked by the first nuclear concrete. Fuel loaded Nuclear fuel has been loaded into the core. The reactor is fuelled but has not yet gone critical. Critical Has reached first criticality — a self-sustaining chain reaction, usually at low power — but is not yet connected to the grid. Grid connected Synchronised to the electrical grid and exporting power for the first time, but still in commissioning and power-ascension testing — not yet in commercial service. In commercial operation — the operator has formally declared the unit in regular commercial service. Shut down Permanently shut down and no longer generating; may be defuelled, undergoing decommissioning, or preserved in place. Canceled Abandoned before completion.
Site: Rooppur, Ishwardi, Pabna District
First nuclear power reactor in Bangladesh
Revised schedule agreed June 2025 targets commercial operation December 2026; initial ~300 MW generation expected July-August 2026. Loading of all 163 fuel assemblies completed mid-May 2026.
Details
| Design | VVER-1200/V-523 |
| Electrical output | 1,080 MWe |
Milestone history
- Announced —
- Construction start November 30, 2017
- Fuel load April 28, 2026
- First criticality target 2026
- Grid connection —
- Commercial operation —