Rampal power plant starts commercial production

The coal-fired Maitree Super Thermal Power Plant at Rampal started trial operation on Saturday night, adding 660 megawatt (MW) of electricity to the national grid from Unit-I. 

Earlier, India-Bangladesh Power Sector Cooperation, Unit-I of the 2x660 MW Maitree Super Thermal Power Project was successfully synchronised with the national grid on August 15, 2022, injecting 91.7 MW of electricity to the national grid. 

In June 2023, 660 MW more electricity will be synchronized to the national grid from Unit-II, an official of the project said, reports BSS. 

Trial-run of Unit-I has been started from Saturday night, managing director of BIFPCL Sayeed Ekram Ullah said, adding, "We have started supplying electricity commercially. All type of technical work has already been completed. The power plant will strengthen ties between Bangladesh-India side by side and play a vital role for the development of the area." 

Being built at an estimated cost of Tk 160 billion, the plant aims to produce a total of 1,320 MW of electricity from its two units (660 megawatts each). 

Anwarul Azim, deputy manager of the project said, 660 MW of electricity is being produced from the first unit. Already 79.35 per cent work of the second unit has been completed. If everything goes well, the rest of the work will be completed by June 2023. 

The Maitree Super Thermal Power Project is being constructed under the government of India's Concessional Financing Scheme. It is being built by Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) for the Bangladesh-India Friendship Power Company Private Ltd. (BIFPCL), a 50:50 Joint Venture company between India's National Thermal Power Company (NTPC) Ltd and Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB). 

The 1,320 (2x660) MW coal-fired thermal power plant is being set up at a cost of approximately US$ 2.0 billion and is located in Rampal, in the Bagerhat district of Khulna Division.  

Situated on some 915.5 acres of land, cent per cent of power to be generated from this plant would be supplied inside Bangladesh. To transmit and thus distribute electricity from this plant, the construction of 230 KV double circuit line from the plant to Khulna and 400 KV double circuit line to Dhaka has been completed up to Gopalganj.