Indonesian ship with 64,770 tonnes coal reaches Matarbari

Indonesian ship MV GCL Paradip carrying 64,770 tonnes of coal has anchored at the Matarbari deep sea port in Cox’s Bazar’s Moheshkhali.

The vessel navigated through a breakwater channel to dock at the Moheshkhali port on Wednesday morning, said Alfaz Uddin, a security officer at the Matarbari coal-fired power project.

The port authorities have already initiated the unloading process, he said, adding it will take four days to unload the coal through a conveyor belt.

Abul Kalam Azad, director of the Matarbari 1,320MW power plant project, said four shipments totalling 2,50,000 tonnes of coal arrived at the port over the past month and a half.

According to the official, about 90 per cent of the plant’s construction is completed and experimental power generation in the first unit will start in December. The power plant is expected to go into full production in January 2024, he added.