Questions have been raised over the lack of transparency surrounding the renovation of the second unit of the Barapukuria coal-fired power plant in Parbatipur, Dinajpur.
Amid a nationwide electricity crisis, the 125MW unit has remained shut for nearly six years. Although efforts have been made to restart the unit, which went offline in November 2020 due to mechanical faults, it has yet to resume supplying power to the national grid.
The prolonged shutdown has left several components requiring inspection, repair and replacement, prompting a major overhaul to restore the unit.
Plant engineers estimate that the renovation and restart process could cost around Tk200 crore.
Chief Engineer Md Abu Bakar Siddique said in May that the plant had contacted a Chinese company for the work.
Asked about the progress, he said, “They are working. The work has advanced significantly. You will know when it is completed.”
However, he declined to disclose details about the contractor, contract value or expected completion date, and ended the call. Other officials also declined to comment.
Engineers said a power unit that remains idle for years requires a thorough assessment of key components, including the boiler, turbine and generator. Repairing or replacing damaged equipment and conducting trial runs are part of the overhaul process.
Ganosamhati Andolan’s Phulbari upazila General Secretary Abdul Motaleb Pappu criticised the authorities’ reluctance to share information.
“Not providing information on such an important national issue is extremely disappointing. People have the right to know about the activities of an organisation run with public money,” he told TIMES of Bangladesh.
He warned that withholding information could create confusion among the public.
The Barapukuria Thermal Power Plant has a total generation capacity of 525MW. Units 1 and 2 each have a capacity of 125MW, while Unit 3 has a capacity of 275MW.
Unit 1 currently generates around 55MW but frequently suffers mechanical faults. Its production was suspended for a day on 14 August due to a technical problem.
Unit 3 generates around 170MW and remains the plant’s main source of regular power supply.
According to the annual report of Barapukuria Coal Mining Company, annual coal production is around 7,50,000 tonnes.
Government estimates show that Barapukuria has 410 million tonnes of recoverable coal reserves, while another mine in the same district, Phulbari, has around 572 million tonnes.
Coal is currently extracted through underground mining. The finance minister has said the government wants to introduce open-pit mining at the site and supply 75 per cent of the coal required by the country’s power plants.
