Bangladesh nuclear plant achieves criticality

Bangladesh Bangladesh has reached an important milestone in its energy sector as the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant has achieved criticality, bringing the country closer to producing electricity through nuclear energy. Bangladesh's Science and Technology Minister Faqir Mahbub Anam confirmed the development, saying that the achievement marks a major step towards starting electricity production. He also said that power generation could begin within the next two to three weeks. The Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant is Bangladesh's first nuclear power facility. It is being built with technical and financial support from Russia's state-owned nuclear company, Rosatom. The project has two reactor units, each designed to produce 1,200 megawatts of electricity. Together, they are expected to generate 2,400 megawatts once fully operational. Reaching criticality means that the reactor has started a controlled nuclear chain reaction that can continue on its own. However, this does not mean that electricity is already being supplied to homes and businesses. The plant will undergo further testing and safety checks before connecting to the national electricity grid. Officials expect electricity supply to begin in the last week of November, depending on the progress of the testing process. The project is expected to support Bangladesh's growing electricity needs and reduce its dependence on other energy sources. Once fully operational, Rooppur could become an important part of the country's power supply system.