Rampal power plant begins commercial production

The first unit of the coal-fired Rampal Thermal Power Plant in Bagerhat has begun commercial production and is supplying a significant amount of electricity to the national grid.

Anwarul Azim, deputy manager of the power plant, said 660 MW of electricity is being supplied to the national grid from the first unit from Saturday night. Out of this, 460 MW is being supplied to Dhaka through Amin Bazar in Gopalganj and 200 MW to Khulna-Bagerhat.

Officials of Bangladesh-India Friendship Power Company Ltd (BIFPCL), the company setting up the plant, said the commercial operation has begun after completing all technical works to protect the environment amid concerns from environmental activists.

BIFPCL Managing Director Syed Ekram Ullah said, “We have started commercially supplying electricity. All kinds of technical works have been completed considering the impacts of the plant on the environment.”

He said the power plant will play a role in developing the area adjacent to the station. In addition, it will strengthen the friendship between Bangladesh and India.

Meanwhile, local authorities said the beginning of the commercial operation of Rampal power plant will create new jobs in Bagerhat.

Sheikh Moazzem Hossain, chairman of Rampal upazila parishad, said, “Rampal and Bagerhat residents are getting the benefits of Rampal Thermal Power Plant.

“People of the area will get uninterrupted electricity. Also, the plant will create business centres and provide employment to a large number of unemployed people in the district.”

Officials said a second unit of the plant is expected to be operational within next year.

Anwarul Azim of the power plant said 79.35 per cent work of the second unit with 660 MW electricity generation capacity has been completed. If everything goes well, the unit will begin supplying power to the national grid from June 2023.

Ravindra Kumar, chief technical officer of the power plant, said, “If our second unit is commissioned, it will play a big role in meeting the local electricity demand as well as the national electricity demand.”

In 2010, India and Bangladesh jointly initiated the construction of a thermal power plant in Rampal. An agreement was signed between Bangladesh Power Development Board and India’s NTPC Ltd on 29 January 2012 to this end.