Following the shutdown of the 1,320MW Payra power plant due to a coal shortage, another major facility—the Matarbari Ultra Super Critical Coal-Fired Power Plant—is now facing a similar crisis, limiting its electricity generation capacity.
Over the past few days, the Matarbari plant has been unable to operate at full capacity. Although it has a generation capacity of around 1,150MW, it is currently producing only about 315MW, according to sources.
The development comes as the government continues to emphasise coal-based power plants to address the country’s energy needs. While other major plants such as Rampal and Payra have previously maintained stable production, disruptions at large facilities are undermining the expected benefits of coal-based generation.
Meanwhile, the Payra 1,320MW power plant in Patuakhali has remained shut for an extended period due to a coal shortage.
Executive Director KM Naeem Khan said the plant remains closed due to the crisis, although he could not specify the duration.
RNPL Thermal Power Plant Superintendent Engineer Md Abdul Halim said the plant has been shut since November due to complications related to coal procurement tenders. He added that the issues have now been resolved and the plant may resume operations by April 30.
Officials noted that while electricity demand was relatively low in November, it has increased with the onset of summer, intensifying the impact of the shutdown.
Sector insiders have attributed the situation to inefficiencies in management, noting that other plants importing coal from similar sources have continued operations without disruption.
Most coal imported into Bangladesh comes from Indonesia. However, amid a global energy crunch and rising demand, Indonesia has restricted exports after meeting domestic needs and halted sales in the spot market. This has created difficulties for plants without long-term import agreements.
Officials said the Payra plant, which relied on spot market purchases, was particularly affected and had to suspend operations.
A senior official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the situation was foreseeable and could have been mitigated with advance planning.
Attempts to contact Coal Power Generation Company Managing Director Md Nazmul Haque for comment were unsuccessful.
An engineer at the company, also speaking anonymously, said the Matarbari plant requires around 11,500 tonnes of coal daily to operate at full capacity but is currently facing a shortage. The plant’s highest output in recent days was around 440MW on April 5.
In contrast, other coal-fired plants, including Rampal and Payra’s smaller units, as well as SS Power in Chittagong, are operating at or near full capacity.
Power imports from India have also declined, with one unit of the Adani power plant reportedly facing a technical fault, reducing overall supply.
Meanwhile, load shedding has intensified across the country, particularly outside Dhaka, as power shortages persist. With temperatures rising, concerns are growing that outages may worsen unless fuel supply issues at major plants are resolved.