Rampal power plant test run likely in January, operation in June next 

Highlights:

• Transmission line needed for evacuating electricity from Rampal power plant is not ready yet
• The Power Grid Company plans to transfer Rampal power plant's electricity to Khulna
• One year will be needed to bring the electricity generated at Payra and Rampal to Dhaka 
• Coal for Rampal power plant's test run will be imported from Indonesia 

When the coal-fired Payra 1,320MW Thermal Power Plant in Patuakhali cannot use half of its capacity due to lack of a transmission line, another coal-based power plant in Rampal, Bagerhat is going to start operation from next year.

The Rampal power plant, also known as Maitree Super Thermal Power Project, has two units, each with 660MW production capacity. They plan to start the test–run in January 2022 and start commercial operation in June that year.

The project authorities have already informed the Power Grid Company of Bangladesh (PGCB), the power evacuating entity, about their progress and the date of starting commercial operation.  

However, sources at the Power Development Board said the PGCB could not assure the Rampal power plant authority about power evacuation and signaled a delay in the process for an indefinite period. 

Kazi Absar Uddin Ahmed, managing director at Bangladesh-India Friendship Power Company Pvt Ltd (BIFPCL), told The Business Standard, "We have informed the PGCB of our progress, so that they can set up the transmission line. The PGCB said there will be a little delay in setting up the line across the Padma River."  

Golam Kibria, managing director at PGCB, told TBS, "We already established the 24km Mongla-Khulna 230kv transmission line to evacuate electricity from the first unit of Rampal power plant. And for the second unit, our Gopalganj-Maowa transmission line will be prepared by the end of 2022." 

"So, the power plant won't remain idle for the lack of transmission line," he said. 

Although the PGCB claimed that their system is ready to evacuate the electricity from the 1st unit of the Rampal power plant to Khulna, sources at the Bangladesh Power Development Board said Khulna does not need 660MW electricity as a power plant already exists there.

After the test run, the power plant would have to wait for one year to start operation fully if the power evacuating transmission line across the Padma river is not ready, said officials with direct knowledge of the matter.

The BIFPCL authority said around 86% of the construction work of the first unit of the Rampal coal power plant has been completed and the total progress of the project including the second unit is around 70%. 

"We wanted to start the test run on 16 December, the 50th victory day of the nation. But due to unusual rain, our work and preparation is going a little slower. So, if starting the test run on 16 December is not possible, it will be started from January next year," said BIFPCL Managing Director Kazi Absar Uddin Ahmed. 

Apart from that, some materials and manpower from India are yet to reach the plant site, he added. 

Coal to come from Indonesia for a test run 

For the month-long test run, the BIFPCL is going to import three lakh tonnes of coal from Indonesia. However, they have not disclosed the coal price and the name of the supplier company yet. The next board meeting to finalise the issue is scheduled to be held this month.

Another tender is also under evaluation to import 72 lakh tonnes of coal for running the power plant for three years.

The BIFPCL is constructing the 1,320MW Rampal plant, a joint venture of India's NTPC Limited and the Bangladesh Power Development Board, at a cost of $2 billion. 

Spread over 1,834 acres of land, the power plant is situated 14 kilometres north of the Bangladesh part of the Sundarbans, also a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco) world heritage site.