Coal imported for Matarbari power plant sent back due to heavy soil mix

The Coal Power Generation Company Limited (CPGCL) has rejected a shipment of 63,000 tonnes of coal after detecting a significant presence of soil in the consignment meant for the Matarbari Power Plant in Cox's Bazar. 

The cargo has been sent back to the outer anchorage of Chattogram port following the decision.

The Ultra Super Critical Coal-Fired Power Plant at Matarbari, built on 1,600 acres along the Bay of Bengal, has a capacity of 1,200MW. The first unit began commercial production in December 2022, followed by the second unit in August 2023.

According to CPGCL sources, the coal, supplied by an India-based company that won the tender to source the material from Indonesia, was found to be heavily contaminated with soil, rendering it unusable for power generation. 

"We declined to receive the shipment and issued an official letter to the supplier on Friday," Nazmul Huq, executive director at Matarbari coal-fired plant project, told The Business Standard.

Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) sources confirmed that the coal-laden vessel was sent back to the outer anchorage following instructions from CPGCL and the shipping company handling the cargo.

The coal was transported aboard the Singapore-flagged MV Orient Orchid, which entered the Matarbari Channel on 17 March. The ship was operated by Meghna Group of Companies.

Ujjal Kanti Barua, deputy general manager (shipping operation) at Meghna Group, declined to comment, stating, "We are in discussions with the CPA, and the port authority is handling the matter."

Meanwhile, port officials said the conveyor belt used to unload the coal frequently broke down due to the excessive soil mixed with the shipment. "During unloading, we found mostly soil rather than coal," said a CPA official, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Captain Abu Sufian, dock master of CPA, confirmed that the vessel was directed to the outer anchorage in compliance with instructions from the shipping company.