Bargapukuria thermal power plant’s third unit resumes operation after 18 months

PNN News Desk, Dinajpur
After being shut down for 18 months and 20 days, the 275-megawatt third unit of the Bargapukuria coal-based thermal power plant in Dinajpur has finally resumed operation.

The unit started electricity generation again at 5:46 pm on Wednesday.

Chief Engineer Abu Bakar Siddique confirmed the matter and said that the third unit is currently supplying around 170 megawatts, while the first unit is contributing 60 to 65 megawatts to the national grid. As a result, a sense of relief has returned in electricity production.

The power plant, established in 2006 with two 125-megawatt units, has failed to achieve its production target from the beginning. Although it had a theoretical capacity of 250 megawatts, in reality it never produced more than 150 or sometimes 110 megawatts. Later, the second unit was completely shut down due to mechanical faults.

In order to increase production, a new 275-megawatt third unit was launched in 2017. However, after running for nearly eight years, it was shut down on November 1, 2024 due to mechanical faults. After long repair and technical work, the unit has now been made operational again.

Sources related to the plant say that from the very beginning there were allegations of various technical flaws and mismanagement. Due to rushing production, several technical limitations were ignored, which affected both capacity and stability.

On the other hand, due to reduced power generation, excess coal stock had accumulated at the Bargapukuria coal mine yard. With the third unit now operating, coal consumption is expected to increase, which will reduce storage pressure.

Mine Managing Director Shah Alam said that alternative plans are being considered for coal storage and management. He also mentioned that limited coal sales in the open market have been decided in principle. He added that increased power production will raise coal usage and help reduce pressure on the mine.