Payra thermal power plant resumes production after two weeks
The authorities restarted generating electricity at around 4:30pm yesterday
The first unit of the Payra Thermal Power Plant in Patuakhali has resumed production after being shut down for two weeks.
The authorities restarted generating electricity at around 4:30pm on Monday (30 December), said Shah Abdul Hasib, the superintending engineer of the 1,320MW coal-fired power station.
He said electricity production at the Payra plant was shut down on the morning of 16 December by the Bangladesh Power Development Board to connect the newly built 1,320MW power plant, run by RPCL-NORINCO International Power Limited, to the grid through installation of transmission lines.
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The 400kV Payra-Gopalganj power transmission line was shut down as well to bring the new RNPL power plant into production, he added.
Production at Payra plant resumed after the line was installed and the test commissioning of the new thermal plant was complete, said the superintending engineer.
The new RNPL plant is the second 1,320MW coal-based thermal power plant in Kalapara upazila, with the Payra Thermal Power Plant located nearby.
While the 660MW first unit of Payra Thermal Power Plant has started generating electricity, the second unit, also 660MW, remains shut for maintenance.
The second unit was shut down earlier on 10 November for two months for conducting major maintenance works as part of a scheduled upkeep to ensure the long-term reliability and efficiency of the facility.
The authorities at the time assured that there would be no major impact on electricity supply during this period.
The Payra plant has been operational since 2020. It is a joint venture between Bangladesh's North-West Power Company and China National Machinery Import and Export Corporation. The project was funded largely by China's Exim Bank and China Development Bank, with 80% of the total cost covered by loans from the Chinese banks.
The maintenance work is being carried out under an agreement with China, ensuring that there will be no additional costs incurred by the government.
