Grid Gains Gradually: Barapukuria Unit Resumes After 46-Hour Fault Fix

Power generation at the Barapukuria Thermal Power Plant in Parbatipur, Dinajpur, has resumed after 46 hours following the repair of a mechanical fault. Production restarted on Friday, 24 April. After being shut for two days, electricity from the first unit—part of the coal-fired plant with a total capacity of 525 megawatts—began supplying power to the national grid from 9:00 pm.

Chief Engineer of the Barapukuria coal-based thermal power plant, Md. Abu Bakkar Siddique, confirmed the development. He said that 55–60 megawatts of electricity are currently being supplied to the national grid from the first unit. With the unit back in operation, load shedding in the region is expected to decline significantly.

Earlier, due to a mechanical fault, Unit-1—with a production capacity of 125 megawatts—shut down around 10:00 pm on Wednesday night (22 April). As a result, all three units of the power plant ceased operations, leading to power disruptions across Dinajpur and eight northern districts.

Prior to this, Unit-2 (125 megawatts) and Unit-3 (275 megawatts) of the plant had already been out of operation for an extended period.

The Barapukuria coal-fired thermal power plant was established in 2006 adjacent to the Barapukuria coal mine in Dinajpur, utilizing coal produced from the mine. Initially, two units with a combined capacity of 250 megawatts (125 megawatts each) were installed.

Later, in 2017, a third unit with a capacity of 275 megawatts was added, increasing the plant’s total generation capacity to 525 megawatts. However, due to mechanical faults and various complexities, the plant has never been able to produce electricity at its full combined capacity of 525 megawatts.

DBTech/PA/EK/OR