Payra-Dhaka power connectivity trial run begins Thursday

The Payra 1,320MW Thermal Power Plant, the largest coal-powered plant in the country, is all set to begin the trial run to transmit electricity to Dhaka as both sides of the Padma River have been connected with power transmission lines.

Around half the capacity of the Payra power plant remained unused until now due to no transmission line on either side of the Padma.

The river-crossing work was finally finished last month with the construction of 11 towers after missing several deadlines.

Besides, the commercial operation of the Maitree Super Thermal Power Project, better known as the Rampal coal power plant, has also been waiting for the same transmission line to connect with the national grid.

The Power Grid Company of Bangladesh, the agency that implemented the transmission line, is now going to begin a trial run of the transmission line on Thursday, said its Executive Director (P&D) Md Yeakub Elahi Chowdhury.

"There are several technical tests before the final power connectivity through any transmission line. We will begin some of these tests on 15 December," said Md Yeakub Elahi Chowdhury on Tuesday.

"Payra to Gopalganj power transmission line was completed and is in operation. But due to the delay in the construction of the power lines, we could not transmit the power to the other side of the Padma," he added.

For transmitting electricity from the Payra power plant, the Power Division took up a project of 400kV Double circuit transmission lines from Patuakhali (Payra) to Gopalganj and Aminbazar (Dhaka) with a deadline of December 2020.

But the Power Grid Company could not complete the line within the time limit due to difficulties in building the line over the Padma. As a result, power transmission from Payra to Dhaka stayed halted.

The tower construction work in the Padma was given to the Padma Bridge authorities, but due to priority on the Padma Multipurpose Bridge Project, establishing the transmission line was delayed.

Meanwhile, the first unit of the plant started commercial operation on 15 May 2020 while the second unit came into commercial production on 8 December of the same year.

Commercial run of Rampal plant waits for transmission line

After it was deferred several times, the commercial operation of the Rampal 1,320MW coal plant is now waiting for the full-fledged operation of the Aminbazar-Maowa-Mongla 400KV Double Circuit line, said source at the Bangladesh-India Friendship Power Company Limited, the implementing agency of the project.

After several technical tests including grid synchronisation and trial run, the plant is now conducting the stabilisation test which is due to be completed on 18 December.

Engineer Sayeed Akram Ullah, managing director of Bangladesh-India Friendship Power Company, told The Business Standard that they are planning to commence the first unit of the plant once the stabilisation test is completed and it gets green signals from the Power Grid Company after the testing of the transmission line over the Padma.