Power Generation Halted at Rampal Power Plant amid Coal Shortage

The Rampal thermal power plant in Bagerhat has shut down six times since it started running in December due to a lack of coal.

The first unit's output was stopped about 3:30 am on Sunday (30 July), according to Anwarul Azim, deputy general manager of Bangladesh-India Friendship Power Company Limited (BIFPCL). This was because there wasn't enough coal.

"All procedures have been completed for importing coal," he said, adding that the production might resume when more coal arrives in the country on 8 August.

The facility was shut down earlier on July 16 owing to a broken turbine. Four days later, once the turbine was fixed, production started up again.

The Rampal thermal power plant went down six times in seven months after it began producing electricity on December 17, last year. Previously, on January 14, April 15, April 23, June 30, and July 16, it was shut down.

Power industry experts are concerned about a smooth start to the second unit's production given the power plant's first unit's recurrent production stops.