The 525 MW coal-fired Barapukuria Thermal Power Plant in Parbatipur, Dinajpur, has resumed operation. After remaining shut for 10 days due to mechanical faults, the plant’s third unit returned to production at 8 p.m. on Wednesday (July 30).
With the third unit generating 275 MW, about 150–160 MW of electricity is being supplied to the national grid. To keep the unit operational, around 1,600 metric tons of coal are required daily.
Md. Abu Bakkar Siddique, Chief Engineer of the Barapukuria Thermal Power Plant, said that the third unit was shut down on July 21 due to a surveyor fault. He added that the resumption of this unit will significantly reduce load shedding in the region.
The 525 MW thermal power plant relies on coal supplied from the Barapukuria coal mine. Currently, the coal yard of the mine holds a stock of 370,000 metric tons of coal. To operate all three units of the plant at normal capacity, approximately 5,200 metric tons of coal are required per day. However, so far, it has never been possible to run all three units simultaneously.