Pakistan blocks airspace, delays uranium shipment to Bangladesh nuclear plant
Pakistan denied airspace clearance to a Russian cargo plane carrying uranium fuel for the Rooppur nuclear plant, raising fears of delays to Bangladesh's power project.
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Pakistan has denied airspace clearance to a Russian cargo plane carrying nuclear fuel meant for Bangladesh's Rooppur nuclear power plant, delaying a shipment officials call sensitive and important.
Bangladesh buys uranium fuel from Russia for its energy projects. As scheduled, a special Russian cargo plane carrying the nuclear fuel needed for Unit 2 of the Rooppur plant was to land at Dhaka's Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport on September 24. The plane was to enter Bangladesh via Russia, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India. At the last moment, however, Pakistan refused to grant airspace clearance for the plane to pass through its territory, and the shipment could not reach Bangladesh on time.
No official reason has been given for Pakistan's decision. Bangladesh's Science and Technology Minister, Fakir Mahbub Anam, told the media that he was informed Pakistan had suddenly refused airspace clearance to the plane carrying the uranium on September 24. He said the exact reason for Pakistan's decision was not yet clear.
The delay in the uranium supply has affected work at the Rooppur plant for some time. If Bangladesh does not receive the required uranium soon, work on the plant's second unit may have to be postponed. According to officials of Bangladesh's Ministry of Science and Technology, tight security arrangements had been made to receive the uranium at Dhaka airport and transport it safely to the plant site in Pabna district.
Russia's state nuclear energy company, Rosatom, is working to resolve the issue. Rosatom has assured the Bangladesh government that the uranium will be delivered via another, safer route that avoids Pakistani airspace. According to Russia, the uranium is expected to reach Bangladesh safely in the first week of October.
The Rooppur nuclear power plant is being built on the banks of the Padma river at Ishwardi upazila in Pabna district. It is Bangladesh's first and most significant nuclear power plant. Russia's Rosatom is providing technical assistance for the project, while the Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission is overseeing it. The plant is being fitted with two Gen-3+ VVER-1200 nuclear reactors, each with a capacity of 2,400 megawatts. The uranium required for the plant's first unit was successfully brought from Russia in October 2023, when it was transported to the plant under heavy security by the Bangladesh Army through a green corridor. Once fully operational, the plant is expected to help ease Bangladesh's severe power shortages.
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