NRPCL thermal power plant begins trial production in Patuakhali
The newly constructed 1,320-megawatt coal-fired Norinco-Rural Power Company Limited (NRPCL) power plant in Kalapara upazila of Patuakhali has started trial electricity production.
The first unit of the power plant began generating power around 12:30am yesterday and is supplying electricity to the national grid, officials said.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel. Confirming the development to The Daily Star, Project Director Md Tawfique Islam said the plant initially generated 170MW of electricity. "The full 660MW capacity of the first unit will gradually be added to the grid," he added.
Efforts are underway to begin production from the second unit by March, with plans for both units to go into commercial production by May or June this year, following trial runs, he added.
The plant, situated two kilometres north of the Payra Thermal Power Plant, will meet around 10 percent of the country's electricity demand once it becomes fully operational, said Supervising Engineer Ashraf Uddin.
Construction of the plant, located in Londa village of Kalapara upazila, began in 2019, but production was delayed due to various challenges. "We are delighted to finally begin trial production after overcoming all obstacles," Ashraf said.
Shawkat Osman, the plant's executive mechanical engineer, said 1.25 lakh tonnes of coal have been stockpiled to ensure uninterrupted production, while another 1.65 lakh tonnes are expected to arrive this month.
"The cost of electricity generated at this plant is estimated at Tk 9 per unit," he added.
The coal-fired plant is equipped with ultra-supercritical technology, which adheres to international standards and is expected to have minimal adverse environmental impacts, according to a Chinese engineer involved in the project.
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