Coal coming to feed hungry power plants
Fuel crisis at coal-fired power plants is likely to ease as the power plants started to receive the shipments from the suppliers, thanks to all-out efforts of the authorities concerned to ensure coal imports.
Despite a shortage of dollar, power plants started to receive coal supply deliveries from earlier contracts. A shipment of 26,620 tonnes of Indonesian coal reached the Mongla Port on Saturday for the Rampal Thermal Power Plant in Bagerhat.
On the other hand, Payra 1,320MW Thermal Power Plant is also expecting a coal shipment by June 25 under a fresh letter of credit as its two units shut down one after another for want of coal.
Other coal-based power plants that are still in the trial production state are also preparing to supply to the grid as their pre-commissioning coal is on the way.
Keep updated, follow The Business Standard's Google news channel
Although the situation marked some improvement in Dhaka during the weekend over light rain in places, load-shedding for a longer period -- even for hours -- is reported from other districts and countryside.
As power supply declined and load-shedding worsened, State Minister for Energy Nasrul Hamid on 4 June had assured the situation would improve in two weeks, saying that inadequate supply of coal and gas is "only temporary."
Payra plant to resume by 26 June
Country's biggest coal power generation facility, Payra 1,320MW Thermal Power Plant, closed down on June 5 temporarily due to coal shortage as a result of import payment delay over dollar crisis.
Before the generation suspension, two units of the plant were supplying around 1,200MW electricity per hour each day.
The plant requires around 10,000 tonnes of coal each day to run at full capacity.
As the plant could not clear the previous import bill and open new LCs in April, it had to suspend one unit on 25 May and the other on 5 June.
Shah Abdul Moula, plant manager at Bangladesh-China Power Company (Pvt) Limited, the owner and operating company of the Payra Power Plant, said that they are now expecting a shipment of 37,000 tonnes of coal by 25 June.
"We hope the plant will resume production from 26 June. And as per the shipment schedule, we would be able to continue production in the next month as well," he said.
Rampal to run regular production
At a time when electricity demand soared due to the scorching summer heat, the 1st unit of Rampal Thermal Power Plant shut down twice in January and April over coal shortage.
Now the plant is in a position to continue its production with the minimum coal it has in stock and more to arrive.
On Saturday (10 June) morning, a ship unloaded 26,620 tonne of coal at the Mongla Port for the Rampal Thermal Power Plant.
Anwarul Azim, Deputy General Manager at Bangladesh-India Friendship Power Company Ltd (BIFPCL) told The Business Standard that at present the plant has around 46,000 tonnes of coal in stock.
"Besides, LC of another 48,000 tonnes has been opened which will come later on," he said.
At present, the plant has been supplying around 370MW per day. Its daily coal requirement is around 3,000 tonnes, he added.
SS Power resumes on June 18
Though supply from India's Adani Group rose to over 1000MW, including 300MW from the trial run of the coal-based company's second unit, coal shortage forced local S Alam Group's coal-based 1320 MW Banshkhali power plant to shut down its pre-commissioning test production.
Prior to its closure, the Banshkhali power plant was supplying 300 to 375 MW of electricity to the national grid on a trial basis.
Md Faizur Rahman, site project manager and Deputy Project Director of SS Power, said that their plant would be ready again as they are expecting a shipment of coal by 18 June.
Besides these developments, Barishal 307MW plant, owned by Barishal Electric Power Company Limited, is also supplying electricity at full capacity.
