Trial electricity production at the second unit of the Rampal power plant has commenced, with electricity from this unit successfully connected to the national grid on June 28. Currently, the plant is undergoing step-by-step load testing, and it is expected to enter commercial production in September.
Furthermore, production at the first unit of the plant will resume within the next seven days after undergoing necessary maintenance work.
According to sources, trial power generation for the first unit of the Maitree Super Thermal Power Project commenced on August 15, 2022. Subsequently, the production capacity of the unit was tested at different loads, ensuring a seamless process.
The commercial production of the first unit began on December 23, with an initial capacity of 100,000 units.
Anwarul Azim, DGM (HR and PR) of Bangladesh-India Friendship Power Company (Pvt) Ltd, said a shipment of 55,000 tons of coal arrived on July 7. Additionally, the power plant currently stores 20,000 tons of coal, and an assured supply of 8 million tons has been secured for the next three years. These shipments will arrive in phases from Indonesia. Once both units of the 1,320MW power plant are fully operational, a daily coal requirement of 8,000 tons will be necessary.
Atanu Dutta, project director of BIFPCL, expressed his anticipation for the commercial production of the second unit of the Rampal power plant.
He emphasized the record time in which the construction of the second unit was completed. Within a few months, the people of this country are poised to enjoy the benefits of electricity generated from the Rampal power plant.
In 2010, a memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed between the Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) and India's NTPC for the implementation of the Rampal Power Plant Project.
According to the MoU, Rampal was supposed to begin production in 2018. However, the deadline was extended several times for various reasons, including the Covid-19 pandemic.
The 1,320MW coal-fired power plant was set up at a cost of approximately $2 billion and is located in Rampal, Bagerhat, Khulna division.
The Maitree Super Thermal Power Project was constructed under the Indian government's concessional financing scheme.
