The 250 MW plant was facing a crisis of coal as Barapukuria Coal Mine Company Ltd (BCMCL) repeatedly failed to resume production at the coal mine and supply coal to the power plant since October last year.

One of the two units of the plant remained out of operation for long due to coal shortage, and production in both the units started on February 25 using coal imported by the Power Development Board (PDB) from a neighbouring country.

The BCMCL had suspended production at the coal mine in October for phase development and to shift equipment to another site. But the long delay in doing that forced the power plant to opt for imported coal, PDB officials in Dinajpur said.

BCMCL sources however said although coal production was suspended in June last, partial production continues since then.

As production at the coal mine did not resume in time, mine officials had verbally informed the power plant authorities about this, and urged them to arrange alternative coal supply. The PDB then went for coal import to maintain smooth power generation during the current IRRI-Boro season.

Meanwhile, China Machinery Company (CMC) that built the power plant has informed the PDB about the problems due to use of the imported coal with no effective steps taken as yet in this regard.

Plant officials said it is now consuming coal much more than that in the past and producing much less power. Earlier, the plant used to consume 2,500 tonnes of coal a day compared to at least 3,000 tonnes now. Moreover plant machinery is developing trouble.

When contacted, Ramendra Nath Ghosh, managing director of the power plant, said local coal and that from Australia are suitable for use in the plant "But we had shortage of time to import such high burning coal from Australia or from any other country."