Power generation at the Barapukuria Thermal Power Plant in Dinajpur has completely stopped. A boiler pipe burst after stones were mixed with coal, forcing the shutdown of production.
Authorities said that Unit-1, with a capacity of 125 MW, went offline around 10:00 PM on Wednesday. The plant’s other two units had already been out of operation. With the only running unit now shut down, electricity generation at the plant has come to a complete halt.
The shutdown of the Barapukuria coal-fired power plant has intensified power disruptions in eight northern districts, including Dinajpur.
Chief Engineer of the Barapukuria Thermal Power Plant, Abu Bakkar Siddique, told the media on Thursday that it may take 4 to 5 days to repair the damage and resume power generation. He added that the plant’s 125 MW Unit-2 has been out of service for a long time, and the 275 MW Unit-3 has also remained shut.
The Barapukuria Thermal Power Plant has a total generation capacity of 525 MW across three units. Units 1 and 2 each have a capacity of 125 MW, totaling 250 MW, while Unit-3 has a capacity of 275 MW. Of these, Unit-2 (125 MW) has been shut down since November 2020, and Unit-3 (275 MW) has been out of operation since November 1 last year due to mechanical faults.