Rampal Power Plant Resumes operation

The first 660-megawatt unit of the Rampal coal-fired power plant resumed electricity generation on Saturday after remaining shut since January due to a coal shortage.

According to plant officials, power production stopped on January 14 after coal stocks were depleted. A coal-carrying vessel recently arrived at the plant’s jetty, enabling the unit to restart operations.

The 1,320MW Bangladesh-India joint venture plant, built at a cost of around Tk 20,000 crore, has faced repeated disruptions over the past year because of coal shortages, manpower constraints and mechanical faults. Officials said at least one of its units has been shut down around 30 times during the period.

The plant is considered crucial for meeting the country’s growing electricity demand amid widespread load-shedding. Power Division officials said the facility supplies about 450MW of electricity to Dhaka, with the remainder distributed to Khulna and surrounding areas.

Mr. Anowarul Azim, a plant official, said a vessel carrying 30,000 tonnes of coal has arrived, enough to operate one unit for about six days. Another shipment carrying 50,000 tonnes is expected to keep the unit running for an additional 10 days.

Officials noted that coal imports had been disrupted by LC-related complications, leading to the shutdown earlier this year. Although the plant has storage capacity for three months’ worth of coal, required reserve levels had not been maintained.

Expressing concern over the repeated shutdowns, environmental activist and journalist Mr. S.M. Kamal said the recurring disruptions appeared “mysterious” and called for an investigation into possible causes. He urged the government to ensure the long-term sustainability of the project.

The Rampal power plant, formally known as the Bangladesh-India Friendship Power Company Ltd. (BIFPCL) project, is one of the country’s largest coal-fired power stations and plays a key role in supporting the national grid during periods of high electricity demand.