Pakistan blocks airspace for Russian flight carrying nuclear fuel for Bangladesh’s Rooppur plant
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "Pakistan blocks airspace for Russian flight carrying nuclear fuel for Bangladesh’s Rooppur plant")
The Rooppur project has already been delayed by two years due to the Covid pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war. Photograph: (AFP)
The Russian flight carrying nuclear fuel for the Rooppur plant was supposed to cross Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, and India before landing. Bangladesh science and technology minister Faqir Mahbub Anam admitted that Pakistan did not provide the needed air clearance.
Bangladesh faced a harsh reality check following a conspicuous leaning towards Pakistan after Sheikh Hasina’s ouster, as Islamabad blocked its airspace to a Russian flight carrying nuclear fuel for Bangladesh’s Rooppur nuclear power plant at a time when the country is grappling with a power crisis.
The first batch of nuclear fuel for Unit-2 of Bangladesh’s first nuclear power plant was scheduled to arrive on September 24 as Bangladesh was preparing to begin commercial operations at its first nuclear power plant at the earliest. Pakistan’s denial of airspace clearance will delay the delivery of nuclear fuel, which may impact the plant’s operational timeline.
The Rooppur project has already been delayed by two years due to the Covid pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war.
‘Pakistan did not provide air clearance, no reason either’
Russia’s state-owned nuclear energy major Rosatom is implementing the Rooppur project and is responsible for delivery of uranium to Bangladesh.
Bangladesh science and technology minister Faqir Mahbub Anam admitted that Pakistan did not provide the clearance and said no reason was provided by Islamabad.
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The Russian flight carrying nuclear fuel was supposed to cross Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, and India before landing in Dhaka.
“The flight was not given permission to use Pakistani airspace. As of now, the exact reason for Pakistan not granting the airspace clearance is still unknown,” the minister told news agency ANI.
Airspace denial happened at the eleventh hour
Bangladeshi media reports suggested that the airspace denial happened at the eleventh hour. Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission (BAEC) has remained tight-lipped about which country denied the airspace permit.
Tauhidul Islam, joint secretary at the Science Ministry, said all preparations had been completed at the airport when officials were informed by Rosatom that it had not received airspace clearance.
Rosatom has now rescheduled the delivery through an alternative route said a report in The Daily Star. Nuclear fuel shipments for the Rooppur plant will now resume in October.
“The remaining fuel batches bound for Bangladesh will arrive by December across seven separate cargo flights,” Rosatom said, assuring Bangladesh that the project schedule won’t be impacted.
There was no reaction from Islamabad, but the Pakistan High Commission in Dhaka cited “technical” and “procedural issues” behind the incident.
“Pakistan attaches high importance to its relations with Bangladesh. It would therefore be appropriate to view the matter in its proper technical context and not attach undue significance to reports or narratives that may seek to misplace it to undermine our bilateral relations,” it said.
Rooppur nuclear plant strategically vital for Bangladesh
The Rooppur nuclear power project, being constructed along the Padma River, is strategically important for Bangladesh as a major part of its plan to expand reliable electricity generation.
Bangladesh is among the world’s major importers of electricity, with most of it being sourced from India. It needs power to keep its garment factories running, which fuels its economy.
In April this year, Bangladesh took a major leap towards joining the nuclear power club as fuel loading began at Unit-1 of the power plant and set the stage for the country’s first nuclear-generated electricity to enter the national grid.
The final phase of testing began in August. Preparations are underway to supply around 300 megawatts of electricity to the national grid on a trial basis in October. Commercial power generation is expected to begin in December, making Bangladesh the world’s 33rd nuclear power-producing country.
For over two months now, Bangladesh has been grappling with its worst power crisis amid the prolonged Iran war and its extensive reliance on gas imports. It has also forced factories producing garments, food, ceramics and pharmaceuticals to cut production.
Bangladesh remains heavily dependent on natural gas-fired power plants. For this, it has increasingly relied on costly imported natural gas from Middle Eastern producers like Qatar.
The closure of the Strait of Hormuz severely hit Bangladesh.
