The Payra Power Plant resumed its operation on Sunday morning after a 20-day shutdown due to a coal shortage.
As the power plant's boiler began operating on Sunday morning, smoke was seen coming from furnaces since morning.
However, coal loading for the turbine completed at around 4pm, after that, the power generation started.
Managing Director of Payra Power Plant AM Khorshedul Alam said: "On Sunday evening at 6:15pm, we connected the Payra power plant to the national grid. Now, we will gradually increase the power load and start supplying electricity to the national grid."
He also said: "Currently, due to the weather conditions, the demand for electricity has decreased. Additionally, there will be less demand for electricity in industries due to the upcoming holiday period. Consequently, the first unit will not run at full capacity. Another shipment of coal is expected to arrive on June 29, and so forth."
On Friday, a ship carrying 41,327 tons of coal arrived at Payra Port – 18 days after the thermal power plant stopped electricity generation due to a coal shortage.
Four more coal-carrying ships will arrive at Payra in the first week of July, according to plant officials.
The country's largest thermal power plant, Payra, completely shut down on June 5 due to coal shortage.
Due to failure in paying the outstanding bills of $390 million, caused by dollar shortage, production of a unit of the power plant was halted on May 25 as the companies involved stopped supplying coal.
Another unit's production continued until June 5, but that also shut down due to coal shortage – leading to weeks of nationwide load-shedding amidst the hottest summer on record.
